European Union representative highlights historical relationship with Brazil
Due to its economic potential and strategic location in relation to Mercosur, Rio Grande do Sul was the chosen state to host the annual mission of the ambassadors of the European Union member states in Brazil. The event starts this Wednesday (4) and goes until Sunday (8). The objective is to allow the exchange of information on economic, commercial and investment issues between the two blocks.
According to Ignacio Ybañez Rubio, Ambassador of the European Union (EU) in Brazil, Europe’s relationship with Brazil is “intimate” both culturally and historically. “This harmony opens many doors to economic relations. Those in South America need to look at Rio Grande do Sul, which is not only a Brazilian state, but also a state integrated with the cultures of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.”, highlighted.
The European Union-led mission has representatives from Germany, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Slovenia, Spain, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Romania and Sweden.
Rubio also stressed the good trade relations maintained by Rio Grande do Sul with Europe. He noted that Rio Grande do Sul’s trade balance with the European Union is positive for the Brazilian state. In 2018, Rio Grande do Sul exported US$ 4.1 billion to the European Union and imported US$ 1.6 billion from the bloc’s countries.
Besides the economic highlight, represented by the opportunities that the EU-Mercosur Agreement will bring in the future, Porto Alegre, the state capital, is the ideal place for Europeans to visit, Rubio noted. He recalled that the city is the result of cultural influences from various countries in the EU.
On Thursday (5), European ambassadors will have institutional meetings in the state and participate in the EU-Brazil Strategic Partnership seminar, in Rio Grande do Sul.
The event will be held at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and will address topics such as European and academic values, state-EU academic partnerships, innovation and technology. After the seminar, the European representatives will attend a lunch offered by the Porto Alegre City Hall. In the afternoon, the ambassadors will take a guided tour of Stihll, a successful European company in Brazil, specializing in products for the forestry, farming, professional gardening, cleaning and conservation and construction markets. At the end of the day, they will meet with leaders of the Rio Grande do Sul Agriculture Federation (Farsul) for a dinner.
Source: Agência Brasil
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