The Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry received a high-level Brazilian economic delegation headed by Flavio Augusto Rocha, Minister of Strategic Affairs of the Republic of Brazil, and a number of officials in government institutions and private companies. He spoke with me on several issues that dealt with relations and future work.
On the objectives of the Brazilian economic visit to the Sultanate of Oman, he stressed the importance of the visit, which is the first for the economic and commercial delegation to the country, and expressed his admiration for what he saw and what the Sultanate of Oman achieved in all spheres of economic development. He also described the Sultanate of Oman as a model country, noting that the country has a well-deserved reputation in international forums for its foreign policies, and for its pursuit of peace and reconciliation in the resolution of international disputes in accordance with the principles of the United Nations.
The minister also stressed that the aim of this visit is to strengthen contacts with private institutions to explore commercial, agricultural and fisheries business opportunities, and forge new partnerships between Brazilian and Omani businessmen. He added that the visit would open up new areas of cooperation between Omani and Brazilian companies in several fields. He said that Brazil and the Sultanate of Oman have close relations, and that the two parties are working to diversify sources of income and enhance cooperation with the world, where there is homogeneity in this matter by offering more initiatives that serve society. He also stressed the interest of business owners and investors to learn about investment opportunities in both countries.
Like the Sultanate of Oman, Brazil too is working to attract foreign investments in various productive projects, he said. In this regard, he noted that the 99 investment projects unveiled by Omani authorities recently, would be an opportunity for Brazilian companies to explore as well.
For its part, Brazil has succeeded in attracting $129 billion worth of investments in specific projects over the past few years, said Rocha. “We would like to attract Omani investments in some feasible projects, especially food, that both parties can benefit from in the future through develop strategic policies for these investments and opportunities in several sectors, including energy, mining and others,” he stated.
The Minister explained that the value of Brazilian exports to the Sultanate of Oman amounted to $1.546 billion in 2021, while Omani exports to Brazil during the same year amounted to about $692 million.
In the field of training, Brazilian institutions and companies have employed innovative approaches in their offerings, he said. “We have educational and training fields for young people and other groups, and we help everyone who want to obtain training, and we can enhance these trends with Omani companies in education and training at various educational and university levels, where we have many experiences.”
Commenting on future cooperation between the two countries, he underlined the potential to support Oman’s economic diversification. He also stressed the importance of forming an Omani trade delegation to visit Brazil, which he hoped would witness first-hand the progress made by Brazil in various fields of economic sectors.
Haider al Lawati
haiderdawood@hotmail.com
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