Damascus – This Wednesday (22nd), the president of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Salim Taufic Schahin, proposed to the president of the Syrian Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Mohammad Ghassan Al-Qallaa, that a mission of Syrian businessmen to Brazil be promoted as soon as possible.
During a meeting at the head office of the Damascus Chamber of Commerce, of which Ghassan is also the president, Schahin stated that the moment is ripe for exploring new opportunities in trade and investment, considering that the current Brazilian government has a political will to strengthen relations with Syria.
To that extent, he requested for Ghassan’s organization to identify the sectors with the strongest demand for products and investment in Syria, as well as the businessmen operating in those areas, and made a point of doing the same in Brazil.
In all of the meetings that he had this Wednesday, Schahin underscored the need for setting a “positive schedule” of activities geared towards strengthening economic and cultural relations between the two countries.
Ghassan said that organizing the mission will be a priority and that it should take place next year, at most. “If we do not have strong relations, then the rich [countries] in the North are going to eat us up,” said the Syrian businessman, speaking for South-South trade.
He mentioned a few sectors in which there are opportunities. “There are many Brazilian products that we need,” he said. In addition to agriculture and foods in general, Ghassan talked at length about the needs of Syria in infrastructure, including ports, airports, roads and railways. “You have experience in this sector, whereas we do not,” he claimed.
To him, Syria would be capable of supplying, from the Mediterranean, the markets of Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, in addition to the local market. “We must expand our ports to be able to ship the volume of products that those markets need,” he stated.
According to him, there are projects being studied, such as the building of a railway to link the Syrian coast to the Gulf region. The Syrian prime minister, Mohammad Naji Otri, who also received Schahin, also talked about the building of roads linking the Mediterranean to Iraq, and the Jordanian and Iraqi borders across Syrian territory, in addition to oil and gas pipelines that would follow the same routes.
Schahin explained that he is also the vice president of the Brazilian Infrastructure and Base Industries Association (Abdib), which brings together large engineering firms, and that he will contact businessmen in the industry to discuss opportunities in Syria.
Ghassan also mentioned Syrian products that can be exported to Brazil, such as textiles and foodstuffs that might be of particular appeal to the large population of Arab origin that lives in the country.
One of the demands in Syria, which was presented at several meetings held this Wednesday, is for aircraft by the Brazilian state-owned manufacturing company Embraer. The country needs new commercial aircraft and has a potential customer base in regional aviation. The Brazilian ambassador to Damascus, Edgard Casciano, explained that the company’s jets contain parts manufactured in the United States, and due to the embargo imposed by the US government, deals in this area are on hold for the time being.
The reason is that the US does not allow its companies to supply materials to aircraft destined for Syria that contain at least 10% of equipment made in the US. There is expectation in Syria surrounding the lifting of the sanctions.
In all of his meetings, Schahin wanted to learn about the main needs of Syria. He told the minister of Economy, Amer Lutfi, for example, that Brazil may help develop the recently-established Damascus Stock Exchange, through information exchange with the São Paulo Stock Exchange (Bovespa). “It is very important to know where and how to help,” he stated.
High level
The Arab Brazilian Chamber president was received by four high-level officials of the Syrian government, alongside the president of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, and should meet with other ministers on Thursday. The receptiveness is proof of the importance that Syria ascribes to its relations with Brazil. A news report of the meeting with the prime minister was shown several times by the state-owned TV channel.
The schedule was organized with special support from the minister of Expatriates, Joseph Sweed, who visited Brazil recently, and from ambassador Edgard Casciano.
Aside from trade and investment, Schahin also talked about the initiatives that he would like to support in the areas of culture, sports, exchange in the medical field, and education. He also said that Brazil would like to play a more significant role in mediating the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
