Brasília – The opening of an office of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) in Brasília brought the expectation of a higher cooperation with partners that the entity has in the capital city. Attending the launch of the new office on Tuesday (19), at Complexo Brasil 21, representatives of the government and Arab diplomats expressed they are eager to reinforce their joint work with the ABCC.
“On behalf of the Council of Arab Ambassadors, which is honored to encompass all Arab diplomatic missions, I’d like to express my joy and hope with your presence here in Brasília. As partners, rest assured that the embassies will do their best for you to achieve your goals,” the dean of the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Brazil, Ibrahim Alezeben (pictured in the opening photo), said.
The dean and ambassador of Palestine in Brasília spoke in the opening event, as well as the director of the Department for the Middle East of Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sidney Leon Romeiro. In the presence of the representatives of several departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – such as the president of the Alexandre de Gusmão Foundation (FUNAG), Márcia Loureiro – Romeiro said that this was a sign of the engagement of the Ministry with the ABCC.
Romeiro said that the new branch of the ABCC is expected to contribute to significantly boost Brazil-Arab relations and pointed out the trade partnership between the two regions, with Brazil as food supplier to the Arab market and the Arab countries as fertilizer suppliers to Brazil. “This relation in food production and fertilizer imports is proof of the level of connection we have with the Arab world,” he told the attendees.
The director of the Department for the Middle East said that he sees a deepening in Brazil-Arab relations and stressed the role of the partnership between the ABCC and the Foreign Affairs Ministry. “The ABCC can continue to count with us, and we’re ready to cooperate with the new office in Brasília,” Romeiro said.
Attending the event, the ministers of Science, Technology and Innovation, Paulo Alvim, and Environment, Joaquim Leite, told ANBA they expect an even closer work with the ABCC from now on. Both ministries have projects and have recently held activities together with the entity.
Alvim talked about the existing relation with the ABCC headquarters in São Paulo for scientific and technologic cooperation. “This base in Brasília will help,” Alvim said. The Environment minister agrees. “The presence in Brasília is greatly important, as it’s where we draw the government’s public policies, and there is nothing better than having an office in Brasília for us to develop an even closer relationship,” Leite said. The secretary for Climate and International Affairs of the Ministry of Environment, Marcus Paranaguá, attended the event as well.
The Arab diplomats also expect their joint work with the ABCC to increase. Ambassador Qais Shqair, head of mission of the Arab League in Brazil, talked about his expectations to implement more activities in several fields, including culture. “We’re very glad to finally have an office here,” he said, adding that the League will participate in the activities of the office and share ideas.
The ambassador of Morocco to Brazil, Nabil Adghoghi, said the ABCC plays a very important role in trade and investment rapprochement between Brazil and the Arab countries, and he believes that the office in Brasília will make its great work with institutional players like the Brazilian government and Arab embassies to give a qualitative leap.
The ABCC office in Brasília is located at Complexo Brasil 21 – Edifício Business Center Tower, Bloco C – Setor Hoteleiro Sul (SH/Sul), Quadra 06, Lote 01, Conjunto A, rooms 1802 and 1803, Asa Sul.
Here’s more on this:
Arab Brazilian Chamber opened office in Brasília
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
