Joined: 05 Oct 2005
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In a visit to the regional office of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce in Curitiba (southern Brazil), ambassador Salem Ezubedi spoke of his country's willingness to increase economic, cultural and political relations. The Libyans are especially interested in the fields of foodstuffs and infrastructure.
Omar Nasser, from Fiep* Curitiba – Getting acquainted with business opportunities between Libya and the southern Brazilian state of Paraná, and strengthening economic, cultural, political, and social ties with Brazil. These were the objectives of the visit paid by the ambassador of the North African country, Salem Ezubedi, to Curitiba (capital of Paraná) last Wednesday (24). During a visit to the office of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce in Paraná, the diplomat declared that his country is "entirely open to suggestions and to learning about relation possibilities between Brazil and Libya," According to him, the Libyans are especially interested in the infrastructure and foodstuff areas. Also in the morning, Ezubedi was received by the director at the Curitiba branch of the Arab Brazilian Chamber, Kamal Davi Curi. On the occasion, he highlighted the importance of the ties between his country and Brazil. "Our mission is to intensify bilateral relations,' he stated, while giving thanks to the Chamber for its efforts to that extent. Upon welcoming the ambassador, Curi said "the role of the Arab Brazilian Chamber is to bring Brazil closer to all Arab countries, fostering tourist, economic, social and cultural activities." "The important thing is the relation between the peoples, and not just the governments," said the ambassador, who called attention to the fact that, in recent years, Libya has intensified its contacts with Brazil by means of non-government organisations (NGOs), businessmen's and workers' federations, and cultural institutions. The diplomat also spoke of the developments of the Summit of Arab-South American Countries, held in May 2005. Since then, four ministerial-level meetings have been held between nations on both sides of the Atlantic, and important initiatives have been implemented. Among the measures adopted, Ezubedi mentioned the electronic library, currently in its final phase of implementation, and which counts on head offices in Brazil and Algeria. The aim of the library is to divulge the cultural production of Arab and South American countries, and to allow for the exchange of information and experiences in the field. From the economic point of view, the ambassador stated that large Brazilian companies already operate in Libyan territory, which does not imply that trade relations cannot be expanded. Besides the Brazilian state-owned oil company Petrobrás, which has been in the country for three years now, he named construction company Odebrecht, which is currently developing two important projects: a set of highways circling the capital, Tripoli, and the city airport, which is being built in partnership with an Indian and a German company, under French supervision. Libya is interested in attracting Brazilian investment and technology. Programme In the capital of the state of Paraná, the ambassador, accompanied by the cultural attaché of the Libyan embassy in Brasília, Mahmud Durqi, maintained a full schedule. In the morning, in addition to the meeting with the director at the Arab Brazilian Chamber in Paraná, he visited the Arab Memorial, a monument celebrating the Arab immigration to Curitiba. He also participated in the opening of the "Libyan Art and Culture Exhibition." The exhibition will continue until October 31st at the Public Library of Paraná. Afterwards, Ezubedi made a point of getting to know the Imam Ali Mosque, the religious temple of the Islamic community in Curitiba, founded in 1972. In the afternoon, the ambassador had a meeting with state governor Roberto Requião, at Palácio Iguaçu (seat of the Paraná state government). Then he went to the Chamber of Aldermen of Curitiba, where he was honoured with a tribute. His appointments in the capital of Paraná ended with a visit to the Omar Al-Moukhtar Square. Located in the Bairro Alto neighbourhood, the square pays homage to the hero of Libyan independence, who fought against Italian occupation in the country last century. *Federation of Industries of the State of Paraná. Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum |
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