São Paulo – Businessman Antonio Sarkis Jr., former president of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce was paid a tribute last Thursday (9th), in the Brazilian capital, Brasília, by the Council of Arab Ambassadors to Brazil. He was complimented on his work as Arab Brazilian Chamber president for two consecutive terms, from 2005 to 2008. Dinner, served at restaurant Trattoria da Rosario, was attended by ambassadors and representatives of 14 of Arab embassies in Brazil.
“We feel obliged to thank you for the dedication, performance and efforts in your tenure as head of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and the Council of Arab Ambassadors, which led to harmonic relations on both sides," said the ambassador Yousuf Al Usaimi, dean of the council of ambassadors for the United Arab Emirates. "Our cooperation has contributed positively to strengthening and developing relations between Brazil and Arab countries. The conclusion of your administration at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce notwithstanding, our ties of friendship are and will remain solid,” he added.
Sarkis stated that he felt honoured by the council’s tribute, and would like to share it with all of those who were in the board of directors during his administration. “Our board focused on working for the Chamber to establish closer ties with Arab ambassadors in Brazil, as well as Brazilian ambassadors in Arab countries,” said Sarkis.
According to him, the Arab Brazilian Chamber partnered with the Arab embassies to promote several events and receptions to Arab authorities, as in the visit of the Jordanian king Abdullah II and queen Rania, in October 2008. “The Chamber has always been there for the embassies in these events, providing aid and scheduling business encounters,” he claimed.
"I take this tribute as a token of recognition for the partnership that our board of directors had with the ambassadors. This dinner wraps up my work and shows that the years of dedication and goals were in the right direction, and have yielded results in the commercial and political spheres, bringing Brazil and Arab countries much closer, and that must continue and grow in the future,” stated Sarkis.
To him, the meeting is an acknowledgement that the work was well done, as well as a display of affection from both parts. "I am proud to say that our administration was based on professionalism, ethics and transparency. It is with much honour that I receive this recognition,” he asserted.
Those in attendance were the ambassadors of Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Morocco, Kuwait, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Sudan, Libya, Palestine and the United Arab Emirates. The embassies of Syria and Iraq were represented by their respective charges d’affaires. The head of the Mission of the League of Arab States, Bachar Yaghi, the president of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Salim Schain, and the secretary general of the Chamber, Michel Alaby, also attended the event.
Family tradition
Antonio Sarkis Jr., 50 years old, is married to Vivian Hosni and has a daughter. Born in São Paulo, a grandson to Arab immigrants, he holds a degree in civil engineering awarded in 1979 by the School of Polytechnics at the University of São Paulo. Since 1978, he operates as a businessman in the textile industry.
Sarkis Jr. started his activities at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce with the encouragement of his father, Antonio Sarkis, who presided over the institution for two terms, from 1991 until 1994.
The businessman has been a member of the board at the Arab Brazilian Chamber since 1997, and was twice the vice president of Foreign Trade, the treasury director, and Secretary of the Higher Administrative Council.
He was elected president of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce in December 2004, for his first term in office, in the 2005/2006 biennium. On April 13th, 2006, he was awarded by the president of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Order of Rio Branco, rank of Commander. His second term as president of the Chamber took place in 2007-2008.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum*
