Randa Achmawi, especially for ANBA
Cairo (Egypt) – The summit between heads of state of the Arab and South American countries, which will take place in May in Brazil, will be a "unique happening" that will create "new horizons" for political, economic, cultural, scientific and technological cooperation between the countries in South America and the Arab world. This is the opinion of the head of the Americas Department at the Ministry of Foreign Relations in Egypt, Shadia Hussein Fahmy Farrag, who until recently occupied the position of Egyptian ambassador in Brasilia, capital of Brazil.
"The summit will be very important, not only on its own, but also because of the great number of contacts its preparations are allowing for, and are yet to allow," said the diplomat to ANBA. "It is being prepared for with a series of important meetings, which promote communication and exchange between the parties, and which are having very positive results," she added.
Shadia recalled that there have been preparatory events about Arab culture in São Paulo, in southeastern Brazil, in the northeastern Brazilian city of Fortaleza, about cooperation in the field of water resources. In March there will be another event in Morocco, to talk about South American culture, and in the same month the foreign relations ministers of both blocs will get together to deal with the last details of the organisation of the summit.
Until then, other events will be promoted to deal with themes such as economic cooperation and investments. "Automatically all this brings the Arab and South American countries closer together," she said.
Priorities for South America
For her, the nomination for the position of chief of department of the Americas at the Egyptian Foreign Ministry shows that her country is paying more attention to the South American continent.
"To have an ambassador coming from a country the size of Brazil, with its political and economic influence, to lead the department of the Americas, someone who knows the region well, draws attention to this region," she declared.
According to Shadia, this is a message the Egyptian government is giving the South American countries. "Egypt is giving more importance to the relations with the countries in this region and hopes to intensify them," she said. Following the same logic of the summit between Arab and South American countries, the diplomat stated that a similar meeting for the African and South American nations will be organised in Cairo.
Trade
She added that Brazil "always maintained very positive positions in relation to the Arab cause" and that the coordination between Brazil and Egypt in international matters is evolving. Shadia declared, however, that the government in her country is interested in increasing trade and economic relations even more.
"The trade balance is unfavourable towards Egypt, therefore we are trying to find new channels to contribute to the increase of Egyptian exports to Brazil. Brazilians themselves are worried about this, because an equilibrium in the trade balance strengthens and safeguards relations between the two countries in the long term," she said.
For her, the entrepreneurs in Egypt have to "become aware of the potential in the Brazilian market." There are plans to organise a trade fair of Egyptian products in Brazil and even to create a permanent exhibit of these goods.
