State establishes partnerships with Arab countries.

Goiás 247_ "This marks the beginning of a new era in the relationship between the State and Arab countries," defined the president of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Marcellu Salum, on Thursday morning, during a meeting of ambassadors and representatives of Arab countries with Governor Marconi Perillo.

Celebrated by the state government and representatives and presidents of Chambers of Commerce, the meeting, which will extend until tomorrow, Friday, aims to strengthen relations between Goiás and Arab countries, in order to define new branches and directions for import and export between the countries, the state, and also with the private sector.

The governor stated that currently the state's greatest interest lies in exporting commodities and in joint ventures (business partnerships), as well as partnerships in the educational, scientific, and technological fields. “Arab countries import commodities. Goiás is a major producer of agricultural and mineral commodities, among others. This will certainly be a very fruitful discussion. But we can deepen our bilateral discussions not only regarding what Goiás can offer in terms of commodities and other products to Arab countries, but also what investments we can receive from these countries. We have a strong interest in joint ventures with Arab investors, and we are interested in sending our products to be consumed in these very important markets,” declared Marconi.

Perillo reiterated that Goiás has a strong cultural relationship with Arab countries, and that there are also interests in this sector: “Brazil respects and admires Arabs, due to their strong presence in all corners of the country, especially in Goiás. Here we have representatives from various Arab countries. In Goiânia, this presence of the Arab community is very rich; it was and is very important in our cultural, educational, and economic development process.”

He further added the possibility of investments in infrastructure, information technology, and industry. To solidify the relations that began to be discussed during the two-day meeting, the governor intends to visit the Arab countries later this year or early next year. “We are open to all types of bilateral relations, from relations in the scientific and educational fields, through the fields of industry, information technology, and also in the area of ​​commodities. We don't just want to have export relations, but also import technologies and agreements in various fields. The Arab countries are very rich in terms of culture and education, and we can strengthen this relationship,” he stated.
Marcelo Sallun said that there are several potential opportunities to be explored by Arab countries in Goiás, but he also highlighted interest in the commodities sector.

“We want to increase this volume of imports. The role of the Chamber of Commerce is to foster closer ties, seeking information and advising both sides to make this possible,” he explained, in order to demonstrate that relations between Goiás and Arab countries are in a constant process of strengthening. The president of the Council of the Arab Embassy in Brazil, Ibrahim Mohamed, said that the visit will serve to identify greater areas of cooperation and investment.

The president of the Brazil-Lebanon Chamber of Commerce, Alfredo Cotait, said that the relationship between the state and Arab countries goes far beyond commercial and cultural issues. Minister Carlos Martins Ceglia, director of the Middle East department at Itamaraty (the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs), also emphasized that relations will be strengthened. They participated in today's entire program, which also included other authorities from the State Government and official representatives of Arab countries in Brazil.