The Brazil-Swiss Confederation parliamentary group was installed on April 26. Senators Nelsinho Trad (PSD-MS) and Esperidião Amin (PP-SC) were elected as president and vice-president of the collegiate, respectively. Senator Carlos Fávaro (PSD-MT) was designated as second vice president. The commission, composed of 13 members, aims to encourage and develop bilateral relations between the legislatures of both countries.
Swiss Embassy Minister Boris Richard also attended the first collegiate meeting. The Swiss ambassador, Pietro Lazzeri, followed the session remotely.
Nelsinho Trad stressed the importance of the work that will be developed with the collegiate.
— Although Brazil-Switzerland bilateral relations date back to the 19th century, we did not have a formal instance between Brazilians and the members of the Swiss Federal Assembly. Starting today, we will strengthen our ties and strengthen the exchange of legislative experiences, technical cooperation and also political and cultural relations between our parliaments.
He also commented on the economic relations cultivated between the two countries and recalled that Brazil is Switzerland’s main economic partner in Latin America.
— According to Itamaraty, our commercial exchange exceeded the US$ 3.4 billion mark in 2020. We had US$ 1.4 billion in exports, mainly gold, aircraft, iron ore, chicken meat, aviation kerosene, rice and coffee. In addition to US$ 2 billion in imports. Today, around 350 Swiss companies are installed in Brazil, where they generate more than 90,000 direct jobs,” he explained.
The vice-president of the parliamentary group, Esperidião Amin, gave a historical account and praised the way in which the Swiss have welcomed refugees. He recalled that his Italian grandparents fled the war and were taken in in Switzerland.
— In 1915, the Austro-Hungarian Empire went to war with Italy and perhaps the most striking fact of this period of war is the battle of Caporetto. With the Austro-Hungarian attack, trench warfare was established there, where people died from lack of sanitation and hunger.
Senator Carlos Fávaro also spoke of how Switzerland has helped to develop chocolate production in Brazil and thanked the installation of the parliamentary group.
— Imagine if we take a small municipality in the north of Pará and have the opportunity to offer Switzerland, which are the world’s chocolate specialists, that we can make this integration, this approximation.
Boris Richard thanked the senators and was willing to contribute to the good relationship between the two countries.
— We here at the embassy, the Swiss government as well, in addition to Parliament, are committed to contributing to good relations between the two countries. It makes me very happy to hear these stories from people and family members who remind us of the ties between Brazil and Switzerland,” concluded the embassy minister.
By Mateus Souza, under the supervision of Sheyla Assunção
Source: Agência Senado
See the original article in Portuguese here: https://www12.senado.leg.br/noticias/materias/2022/04/26/instalado-grupo-parlamentar-brasil-confederacao-suica