ABU DHABI – The United Arab Emirates has stood out for its respect for environmental protection, sustainability, and climate preservation, as well as renewable energies and decarbonization, said the newly appointed ambassador of Brazil to the UAE, Sidney Leon Romeiro.
The embassy is Romeiro’s first post as ambassador – after having led the Middle East Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil since 2019. Born in 1962, Sidney Leon Romeiro arrived in the UAE last October.
For the Brazilian diplomat, the UAE is a very prosperous economy and has known how to combine stability and sustainability with economic development.
“I take over the embassy now, here in Abu Dhabi, at the best moment in the relations between the two countries,” stressed the ambassador as he emphasized that Brazil has a very strong history of cooperation with the UAE.
This partnership is also reflected in joint efforts to combat climate change. Brazil and the UAE have been vocal in global discussions to meet the goal set in the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit Earth’s warming to 1.5 °C. “During our two years as non-permanent members of the Security Council, we had excellent coordination, and we hope to repeat that now at COP,” said the Brazilian ambassador.
Brazil, says Romeiro, will send an illustrious delegation to participate in COP28, from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai. The conference is expected to host 70,000 participants, including heads of state, international leaders, private sector representatives, academics, experts, youth, and civil society representatives.
The commitment to curb global warming is also echoed in high-level discussions between the two nations. During the visit of the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, to Abu Dhabi earlier this year, recalls Romeiro, Brazil and the UAE signed a document of multilateral action and commitment to implementing the climate ambition.
The two countries have also agreed on a memorandum of understanding outlining a transition plan between COP28 and COP30, set to take place in 2025 in the Amazonian city of Belém, in Northern Brazil. “The feedback we have received from the UAE is quite strong in terms of cooperation in the preparation for COP,” stated the Brazilian ambassador. “The visit of Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, (Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology) and COP28 President, is in itself an indicative sign of this trend towards cooperation,” Romeiro said.
BRICS Diplomacy
According to the Brazilian ambassador, the UAE and Brazil share similar visions in some areas, including global governance, respect for international law, reform of international institutions, global stability, and tolerance. Romeiro highlighted the two nations’ joint work in the United Nations Security Council and expressed the intention to strengthen ties within international blocs.
“The UAE is already part of BRICS, and we are now working towards their effective inclusion. We also have a great effort to achieve an agreement between Mercosur and the UAE. We are together, and our intention is to cooperate even more,” said the Brazilian diplomat. Sidney Leon Romeiro also mentioned that Brazil, which holds the G20 Presidency, is working to invite the UAE to participate in the bloc’s summit in 2024. The annual heads of state summit, gathering the world’s largest economies, is set to take place in Rio de Janeiro at the end of next year.
Global Media Congress
Reflecting on the second edition of the Global Media Congress (GMC), held from November 14th to 16th, 2023, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Sidney Leon Romeiro emphasized the importance of the event, which gathered representatives from 172 countries. “The United Arab Emirates stands out as an international hub, not only for transportation but also for promoting businesses, connecting people, providing opportunities, and fostering entrepreneurship,” said the ambassador.
The Brazilian diplomat stressed that the UAE connects different people and interests, making the country an ideal venue for discussing media and innovation in the sector. “This country has all the conditions to contribute to this debate,” Romeiro emphasizes.
Brazilian media organizations and representatives have stood out since the inaugural edition of the Global Media Congress last year. Major Brazilian media conglomerates such as Band and SBT were able to showcase their brands to the global market, using the GMC as a platform for business development and opportunities. Additionally, through a memorandum of understanding, these Brazilian TV networks engage in content exchange with the Emirates News Agency (WAM).
In this regard, the Brazilian ambassador highlighted the importance of WAM’s partnerships with Brazilian media outlets, presenting exclusive content from the United Arab Emirates to the local audience. “When exploring different aspects of our agenda, such as space cooperation, cooperation in artificial intelligence, tourism, culture… the media play a fundamental role in this. It helps bring populations closer with all these connections,” said the ambassador while analyzing the close relations between the two nations through the media industry.
Half a Century of Diplomatic Relations and Economic Ties
In 2024, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates will celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations. Assessing these five decades, Ambassador Sidney Leon Romeiro calls it a story of success. “We have a much higher density nowadays than with countries with centuries-old relations,” said Romeiro.
For him, the trade exchange between the two countries, which has grown by 43.6% from 2013 through 2022, is already well-established “and now it walks on its own.” Currently, Mubadala Development Company, Abu Dhabi Investment Fund, Etihad Airways, Emirates Airlines, and DP World are some of the Emirati companies that invest the most in Brazil.
“We would like the UAE to be a partner in our current process of investing in infrastructure. It is a marriage that pleases both parties. They are interested in investing in long-term projects, lasting twenty or thirty years, such as ports, highways, airports, and the food security sector. And we need this investment,” noted Romeiro.
The ambassador highlighted that the Brazilian government aims to deepen its relationship with the UAE. “We’re eager to explore areas where the UAE excels, such as artificial intelligence and the space sector, which boasts an impressive schedule of development activities, training, and astronaut missions that we can share. We’re focusing on strengthening our embassy’s sectors in science, technology, and innovation,” explains Sidney Leon Romeiro.
Another area of interest for Brazil in collaboration with the UAE is the cultural sector. “The United Arab Emirates is increasingly recognized for its cultural openness to the world, with museums, exhibitions, shows, and international missions. Brazil has a strong presence in this area, so we intend to bolster this segment. Tourism is another field where we can work together,” says the diplomat, discussing the new diplomatic efforts between the two countries.
In a light-hearted manner, Sidney Leon Romeiro likens the half-century of diplomatic relations between Brazil and the United Arab Emirates to a golden wedding anniversary: “We aim to extend this relationship into the next 50 years with even more initiatives and broader projection. It’s like a Golden Wedding Anniversary, but with the enthusiasm of the first week of marriage,” concludes the Brazilian ambassador with humor and optimism, while envisioning the future of the diplomatic relationship between the two nations.