São Paulo – The president at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Salim Taufic Schahin, pointed out the "daring" of the Foreign Minister, Celso Amorim, in the management of the foreign policy of the government of Brazil. “You dared, Mister Minister,” said Schahin, in an address, during a dinner in honour of the Foreign Minister on Friday night (13), at the Syrian Sports Club, in São Paulo.
“Your management these seven and a half years of the government permitted our country to be placed in the global scenery, with the respect that a country with continental dimensions, with a population of almost 200 million inhabitants and one of the ten largest GDPs in the world deserves,” said the president at the Arab Brazilian Chamber to an audience of people of Arab origin, politicians, journalist, businessmen and diplomats.
Schahin pointed out that Brazil is currently “one of the main global players, without excessive patriotism, but with responsibility,” and that this situation was reached “not forgetting the due prudence that is always necessary in management of the diplomatic affairs of a country.” “The country is today, thanks to tandem economic growth and social inclusion – the cornerstones of Lula’s government -, renowned as an emerging power and, as such, is an essential player in the discussion of the great problems that still face our planet,” he said.
The Arab Brazilian Chamber president added that the “daring” shown by the Brazilian foreign policy may be seen in the construction of new international relations, in the expansion of South-South cooperation, in the integration of the South American countries and in the creation of new mechanisms for multilateral dialogue. “Developing a broad foreign policy and building new relations without forgetting traditional alliances, Brazil did not shy away,” he said.
Schahin pointed out that the Foreign minister visited Arab nations 60 times, that 44 bilateral acts were signed with these nations in different areas and that special emphasis was placed on Brazilian exports to the region, which, in his evaluation, may reach US$ 11 billion this year.
Cooperation with the Chamber
Amorim returned the honour showered on him by the Arab Brazilian Chamber and said that without the organisation’s cooperation, “we could not have done one tenth of what we did”.
He joked that he has travelled as much as Ibn Battuta, the famous Moroccan explorer of the 14th Century. “I feel very engaged in this task of bringing Brazil closer to the Arab nations,” he said. “Travelling to the Arab countries is also seeking our identity,” he added, referring to the origin of millions of Brazilians.
The minister also pointed out that in recent years, Brazilian diplomacy has been based on direct relations with other developing nations. “We have shown that Brazil does not need to ask anybody to excuse it,” he said, referring to developed nations, especially the Untied States and European Union.
*Translated by Mark Ament
