São Paulo – Ambassadors and chargés d’affaires from 18 Arab countries and the Arab League met last Thursday (9th) in Brasília with the Brazilian minister of Foreign Affairs, Luiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado, to discuss the furthering of diplomatic and trade ties between Brazil and the countries in North Africa and the Middle East.
The meeting was also attended by the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ undersecretary general for Middle East politics, ambassador Paulo Cordeiro, and secretary general, Eduardo dos Santos, and by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce‘s CEO Michel Alaby. The meeting took place over luncheon at the official residency of the Egyptian ambassador to Brasília, Hossameldin Mohamed Ibrahim Zaki.
In their first meeting with a Brazilian foreign minister since Figueiredo took office, in August 2013, the diplomats discussed the creation of a Palestinian State, the reconstruction of Gaza following conflicts with Israel, the National Congress’ approval of free-trade agremeents with Arab countries, and the end of double taxation between said countries and Brazil.
According to the dean of the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Brazil and representative of Palestine in the country, Ibrahim Alzeben, the meeting was “very positive.” “The parties engaged in a very important interaction. The minister expounded on the importance of Arab immigration to Brazilian culture, the fact that Arab companies are very active in Brazil, and the Arab Chamber’s pivotal role in these relations. He pledged to visit the Arab countries in the near future,” said Alzeben.
Free trade
At the meeting, Alaby said a few free-trade agreements have been signed by the Mercosur and some Arab countries, but are pending approval from the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate before entering into force. This holds true of Egypt, Palestine and Jordan. Alaby told minister Figueiredo that bilateral trade between Brazil and the Arab countries can benefit from further agreements, such as an anti-double taxation treaty (to prevent tax on revenue from being levied in both the source and target countries).
“We and the minister discussed the need to upgrade our trade, which necessarily entails trade agreements, double taxation prevention, greater Brazilian participation in Arab trade shows, and having more Arab enterprises operate in Brazil, so we may increase the exchange of experiences. This is important to the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is not attached to any particular administration. Administrations change, but the philosophy that governs International Relations remains independent,” Alaby asserted.
Bilateral trade between Brazil and the Arab countries has increased since 2003, when then-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva travelled to Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Libya and the United Arab Emirates. In 2013, Brazil exported US$ 14.03 billion worth of goods to the region and imported US$ 11.39 billion. Commodities make up the bulk of exports and imports. Brazil ships mostly foodstuffs to Arabs and the Arabs ship mostly oil, oil products and fertilizers to Brazil. In 2003, Brazilian exports to Arab countries amounted to a combined US$ 2.7 billion. In 2012, sales peaked at US$ 14.8 billion and then dropped to US$ 14.03 billion in the following year.
During the meeting, minister Figueiredo was invited to attend the foreign ministers meeting of the Summit of South American-Arab Countries (ASPA), set to take place on October 28th in Manama, Bahrain. The Brazilian foreign minister has not decided whether to send an official to the meeting.
According to Alzeben, at the meeting on Thursday, Figueiredo confirmed that Eduardo dos Santos will attend a summit in Cairo next Sunday (12th) to discuss projects for rebuilding the Gaza Strip area, which was shelled in July and August during confrontations between the Hamas group and Israel.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
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