Marina Sarruf
São Paulo – The Syrian minister of Expatriates, Buthaina Shaaban, hopes that trade relations between Brazil and her country rise significantly. "I believe we should forget the distance, as cultural and historical relations are so large that I hope economic and trade relations rise significantly," stated Shaaban to ANBA. She was in São Paulo at the beginning of last week with the objective of improving ties with the Syrian community living in the city.
The minister pointed out that trade between both countries has "improved significantly" after the visit president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took to Damascus, in December 2003, and she believes that the product flow may rise even further. "Not only Brazilian export but also import of Syrian products can rise. We have many good things that Brazil can import. Apart from the improvement in relations, there are even greater perspectives," she stated.
Up to now, Brazil has had advantages in these relations. Between January and August this year, Brazilian export to the Arab country generated US$ 118 million, against US$ 19 million in the same period last year, an increase of 521%. With regard to import of Syrian products, it has dropped from US$ 9.3 million to US$ 3.5 million in the same period.
In the evaluation of the minister, Syria should take advantage of its "historic" relations with Brazil so as to balance the trade balance. It is estimated that around 3 million Syrian descendants currently live in the country. The immigrants started arriving in the country at the end of the nineteenth century.
"We have many products that would be interesting to the Arabs living in Brazil, and to the Brazilians," stated Shaaban. Among these products, she mentioned olive-oil-based soap produced in Syria. "It is a very organic product," she guaranteed. In her first visit to Brazil, the minister visited São Paulo (the most industrialized city in the country), Brasília (the country capital), and Curitiba (a city with a large Arab population in southern Brazil), and she then travelled to Argentina.
Apart from their contribution to the country economy, especially in trade, the Syrians helped establish institutions that are currently references, among them the Heart Hospital, the Syrian-Lebanese Hospital, the Pro-Infancy Syrian Home, and the Syrian and Homs clubs.
Arab language
During a talk at Homs Club, in São Paulo, Shaaban thanked the Syrian community for how well she was received. "I am very proud of our forefathers who came here and established these glorious entities," she stated.
One of the main points covered by the minister during her address was language, which is not very much spoken among Arab descendants in the country. "We want to try to spread the Arab language, as this would be the noblest objective of our homeland (Syria)," she stated.
She also stated her intention of establishing stronger relations with Syrian descendants living in other countries. "I hope, with my position as the minister of Expatriates, to create correct mechanisms, to establish good relations between Syria and the descendants who are in other countries," she declared.
With regard to the organization of the summit between Arab and South American heads of state, scheduled for Brazil in April 2005, she stated that she plans to work on a project that will reach the expectations of Syrians living in Brazil.
