S\u00e3o Paulo \u2013 The head of the Middle East Department of the Brazilian foreign ministry (Itamaraty), ambassador Sarkis Karmirian, was named honorary member of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce <\/b>this Friday. The certificate was awarded by the president of the Chamber, Salim Taufic Schahin. The meeting was attended by the Arab Brazilian Chamber\u2019s Marketing vice president, Rubens Hannun, and by director Sami Roumieh.<\/p>\n
The title is awarded to people who have contributed to establish closer ties between Brazil and the Arab countries. Karmirian has been in charge of the Middle East Department at the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Relations since 2004.<\/p>\n
According to the ambassador, the Brazilian government programme for closer ties with the Arab countries, which started in 2003 as president Luiz In\u00e1cio Lula da Silva travelled to the Middle East for the first time, has surpassed expectations. \u201cThere has been a reversal of expectations. Now, Arab countries are calling for Brazilian presence,\u201d said Karmirian.<\/p>\n
Since relations became closer, Brazil been contacted to sign several deals. According to Karmirian, apart from trade, Arab countries want to cooperate in sectors such as science, technology and tourism. \u201cThey (Arabs) have been proposing several agreements,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
From 2003 onwards, Brazilian trade with Arab countries has grown continually. According to data supplied by the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Brazilian exports to the Arab world have risen from US$ 2.76 billion in 2003 to US$ 9.82 billion in 2008, and totalled US$ 9.4 billion in 2009, a year of crisis and retraction of global trade.<\/p>\n
\u201cBrazil is now a country that sets itself apart. Its presence is stronger worldwide,\u201d said Schahin, who works alongside the government to establish closer ties with the Arab world. \u201cIn addition to trade, we are promoting closer cultural ties,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
In 2008, the minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Miguel Jorge, was also paid a tribute by the Arab Brazilian Chamber and named honorary member of the organization.<\/p>\n
Profile<\/b><\/p>\n
Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1948, Sarkis Karmirian holds a degree in Law and worked at an embassy for the first time in 1975, in Algiers, Algeria, as third secretary. Karmirian also worked as first secretary at the embassies of Rome, Luanda and London. In 2001, he became head of cabinet of the Undersecretariat General for Bilateral Policy of the Brazilian government. In 2003, he assumed the position of director of the Near East Department.<\/p>\n
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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