The President of the Chamber of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, Mr. Mohamed Choucair was represented by the Vice President of the Chamber, Dr. Nabil Fahed who welcomed Brazilian Senator Alfredo Cotait in order to sign a memorandum of understanding as a form of a cooperation agreement between the Chamber of Beirut and Mount Lebanon (CCIA-BML) and the Brazil Lebanon chamber of Commerce (CCBL).
The agreement aims to develop economic relations between the Lebanese and Brazilians at various levels, especially regarding increased trade that includes an exchange of experiences and cooperation at the regional level. It also aims to enhance communication and cooperation between the private sector and to organize delegations to explore business opportunities in both countries.
The agreement sets a platform for the establishment of the Lebanese Brazilian business Council – where the Brazilian delegation can contribute in order to achieve the goals set forth in the Convention. Also present at the signing ceremony was Brazil's Ambassador to Lebanon, Mr. Afonso Emilio.de Alencastro Massot.
Mr. Nabil Fahed started by saying that when protocols and bilateral agreements are signed between two countries, they help cement a relationship between two nations. In the case of Lebanon and Brazil, this is not the case.
Because the relationship between the two nations and the two people date back to decades when thousands of Lebanese saw in Brazil a great destination to explore opportunities, peace and security at the time of war and hardships, the challenge lies today in building on the great affinity that exists between the two nations and elevate it to more advanced levels.
He went on to say that distance was never an issue between Lebanon and Brazil and with today’s communications and transportation advances, the relationship can stand as a model for relationships between nations.
For his part, Senator Cotait stressed the importance of the Convention in the development of economic relations between the two countries, especially with the presence of large Lebanese community that’s very active in Brazil and can be relied upon to play a key role in this context. He also spoke about the importance of Lebanon's economic and its pivotal role in the region, which could be adopted as a center for Brazilian companies to market its products and services in the Middle East and North Africa.
Brazil’s Ambassador noted the presence of large areas of cooperation between the two countries, saying that the establishment of the Lebanese Brazilian business Council was the most important thing he had worked on since assuming his position. He also expressed his willingness to do whatever necessary to make all possibilities available to achieve the desired goals.