This Wednesday morning (14), Secretary Marta Suplicy participated in a video conference with the Consul General of Lebanon in São Paulo, Rudy El Azzy to discuss possible partnerships between the country and the municipality. The meeting was accompanied by the Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, Ambassador Débora Vainer Barenboim-Salej, the Coordinator of International Affairs, Francisco Castro, and the Coordinator of Bilateral International Affairs, Camila Gomes.

During the meeting, Secretary Marta highlighted the socioeconomic and cultural contributions of the Lebanese community to the capital of São Paulo. Also, the participants talked about partnerships in the area of culture and business, as important mechanisms to enhance the Lebanese presence in the city.
Another agenda of the meeting was the presentation of the municipal programs São Paulo Cidade Solidária and Banco de Alimentos, aimed at collecting food to guarantee food security for families in social vulnerability in this pandemic period. The strong bonds of friendship and solidarity between the Lebanese community and the city of São Paulo were a highlight of the meeting.

Bilateral relations
With an estimated population of between 4 and 5 million descendants in the state of São Paulo and about 2 million descendants in the city of São Paulo, the Lebanese community in Brazil is considered the largest in the world outside Lebanon. The municipality of São Paulo is home to important institutions and organizations in this community, such as Clube Monte Líbano, Hospital Sírio-Libanês, and its social fabric has been enriched by the Lebanese presence in the city.