São Paulo – Next Wednesday (12th), the Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff is meeting with the Qatari emir, Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, in Doha. It will be the president’s first trip to an Arab country since her inauguration in January 2011. It will also be Rousseff’s first trip abroad after being re-elected, last October 26th, for a new four-year term.
According to information from the Presidency of the Republic, the presidential delegation needed a layover in a Middle East country prior to arriving in Brisbane, Australia, to attend the summit meeting of the G20, a group of the world’s leading developing and developed economies. The president was going to spend the night either in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, or in Doha. The Qatari government extended an invitation for the delegation to stay in the country.
The presidential aircraft was scheduled for takeoff at 4:30 pm this Monday (10th). The aircraft should stop to refuel in Las Palmas, a Spanish island off the African coast, before arriving in Doha on Tuesday (11th). According to the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations, aka Itamaraty, the foreign minister Luiz Alberto Figueiredo is travelling alongside the president.
According to the Presidency, Rousseff’s agenda for the meeting with Al-Thani includes the Qatar-Brazil 2014 Year of Culture and education-related matters. Throughout this year, events have been held to showcase Qatari culture to Brazilians, including the Pérolas (Pearls) jewellery and artwork exhibition, held at Fundação Álvares Penteado (Faap), in São Paulo, and the Qatar Cultural Week, held last September at the Villa-Lobos Park, also in São Paulo. Both attractions were organized by the Qatar Museums Authority.
After convening with the Qatari emir, Rousseff should meet with Mozah Bint Nasser, the chairperson of the Qatar Foundation, whose mission is to support projects in Education, Science and Research. In September last year, Nasser visited indigenous villages in Brazil’s Pará state and two schools in impoverished Rio de Janeiro communities.
Trade
In 2013, Brazil exported US$ 334.15 million worth of products to Qatar, mostly minerals and meats, up 5.5% from 2012. Brazil’s imports from Qatar amounted to US$ 581 million, consisting chiefly of fertilizers, down 22.3% from 2012.
Year-to-date through October 2014, Brazilian exports to Qatar grossed US$ 309.69 million, up 36.5% from the comparable period in 2013, consisting mostly of meats. Conversely, Brazil’s imports were down 6.9% to US$ 491.9 million. The Qatari emir took office in June 2013, after his father, Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, stepped down.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
