São Paulo – Brazil’s minister of Foreign Affairs Ernesto Araújo was first to speak on the second day of the Economic Forum Brazil & Arab Countries. He said Brazilian-Arab relations will move on to a new level: “We are faced with a moment of immense challenges, as we all know, and those challenges entail building a post-Covid world – one where Brazil’s relations with the Arab world are sure to take on an ever more strategic character.”
The foreign minister kicked off the proceedings alongside Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) International Relations vice president Osmar Chohfi and deputy minister and Egypt Commercial Offices head Ahmed Maghaoury, who spoke on behalf of Egypt’s minister of Trade and Industry Nevin Game. The theme in discussion is “A New Order in International Business?”.
In discussing the new geometry of international relations ushered in by the pandemic, minister Ernesto Araújo went over what he envisions as being the role of Arab countries in their relations with Brazil. He said new production chains are coming up as key partners come into play and trust-based relationships are built..
“In this context, Brazil’s relations with Arab countries, which were highly promising as it was, are now becoming a key aspect of a restructuring of our international insertion under new geometries. Brazil already sustains a crucial economic relationship with the Arab world, and it must tap into those relations more and more in order to achieve our growth and recovery goals.”
Araújo said Brazil’s foreign policy is shifting, in line with the values and aspirations of the Brazilian people, under the guiding principles of freedom and economic openness. That entails building efficient, equitable, reliable international mechanisms, he argued, citing the United Nations and the World Trade Organization to that end.
“As we see it right now, the need for reforms in all those realms should converge towards the creation of this new world, in light of the Covid challenge,” he said regarding those organizations. This new, post-Covid world is one of greater integration between countries, greater loyalty in the international community, and the advocacy of peece and prosperity, Brazil’s foreign minister said.
Is the new order here to stay?
The forum’s second day centers around whether there will be a new order in international business. “Our theme for today is a question and a provocation,” Chohfi said, inquiring whether the changes wrought by Covid-19 will dictate how domestic and international trade take place going forward.
“A few months ago, Henry Kissinger said the pandemic has changed the world order forever, and that only international cooperation would ensure safety, order, economic wellbeing, and justice,” said Chohfi, who’s a diplomat. According to him, new challenges have arisen in international trade and business, and they manifest themselves in logistics, health inspections, the way negotiations take place, and the use of technological tools, among other things.
According to Chohfi, apart from the negative impact, the challenge has spawned innovative solutions in online communication, e-trade, digitization of customs procedures, and a shift towards cooperation. “Our Arab partners have valued their relations with Brazil, a reliable, quality supplier of much of the food security needs of millions of people in that part of the world.”
Facilitating trade in Egypt
Ahmed Maghaoury discussed how Egypt addressed the pandemic, and its repercussions on trade and the economy. New guidelines put in place when it comes to trade include not imposing preconditions on trade. Maghaoury also said trust has increased as a result of transparent government policies, the availability of supplies to the countries that need them, and the provision of support to businesses.
“All countries have put in place policies to address the situation, and they all have sought new solutions,” the deputy minister said. The new phase requires cooperation from each and every country in the world, he said. Egypt is one of a handful of countries whose economies are growing in spite of the global crisis triggered by Covid-19. Maghaoury said reforms being rolled out since 2016 have helped, as have social and economic measures taken during the crisis.
The forum is hosted by the ABCC in partnership with the Arab League and the Union of Arab chambers. In addition to discussion panels, it features products and services by Brazilian and Arab companies in a virtual exhibition. The event is hosted by journalist and presenter Renata Maron.
Check out the full coverage on ANBA.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
