PAST EVENT | CWF Arthur J.E. Child POP UP POLICY
Brazil and Western Canada in a Global Context: A conversation with Canada’s Ambassador to Brazil
Thursday, January 18, 2024
9:00–10:15 am MT
Location: USask Calgary Hub
Suite 109, 301 – 3rd Avenue SW
Calgary, AB
NOTE: This is an in-person event held under Chatham House Rule and will not be broadcast or recorded.
With the support of
Join Canada’s Ambassador to Brazil, Emmanuel Kamarianakis, as he offers insights into Brazil’s evolving economic and political landscape and its influence on South American and global affairs and trade, including commodities of importance to Western Canada.
When it comes to economic powerhouses, Brazil is a name that probably does not come first to mind. Yet, depending on the source, Brazil has or is positioned to soon overtake Canada as the second largest economy in the Western Hemisphere. Although it keeps a low profile in Alberta, and ranks as Canada’s 11th largest trade partner, its growth means Brazil’s role in global affairs is increasingly significant and bears watching especially by the trade-dependent prairie provinces.
Learn more about President Lula da Silva’s 2022 return to power and how the current political situation in Brazil is shaping its economy. How is Brazil navigating its relationship with China, its top trade partner, and what lessons might Canada learn? What is the current state and outlook of the Brazil-dominated Mercosur common market, one of the world’s largest economic blocs comprising Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and just added Bolivia.
This talk will offer a broad overview of Brazil’s evolving economic and political landscape from Ambassador Emmanuel Kamarianakis’ perspective, exploring its growing influence in global affairs and trade dynamics of importance to Western Canada.
Speakers
Emmanuel Kamarianakis
Canada’s Ambassador to Brazil
Emmanuel Kamarianakis was named Canada’s Ambassador to the Federative Republic of Brazil in August 2022. He is honoured to lead and support an Embassy team in Brasilia along with Consulates General in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro as well as trade offices in Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte and Recife.
Prior to this role, Emmanuel was Director General, Investment, Innovation and Education at Global Affairs Canada where he led the government’s international network promoting Canada as a premier business destination for foreign investors, an ideal place to study for international students, as well as an excellent partner for global science, technology and innovation collaboration.
Emmanuel has served as Canadian Consul General for Dubai and the Northern Emirates and in diplomatic missions in Italy, Mexico, Greece and Iran. During his time in Canada, he has served in various positions including Chief of Staff to the Deputy Minister for International Trade; and at the Privy Council Office, a central agency directly serving the Prime Minister of Canada.
He has developed significant expertise over his career in the areas of foreign policy, trade promotion, bilateral science & technology collaboration, trade policy, economic diplomacy and the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Canada. He has applied this expertise across European, Middle Eastern and Latin American regions.
Carlo Dade
Director, Trade and Investment Centre, Canada West Foundation
Carlo Dade is one of the country’s leading voices on defending and advancing Canadian and western Canadian trade interests in Canada and abroad. He leads work on development of a national trade infrastructure plan and renewal of the nation’s trade corridors. His research and advocacy are playing a critical role in the achieving better trade agreements and drawing attention to the often-neglected importance of the assets and systems critical that move products to markets. He has a reputation for developing creative solutions to some of the major challenges facing Canadian exporters and defending Canadian interests in trade with China and the U.S.
A frequent media commentator and writer, Carlo is a global expert on pan-Pacific trade, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Pacific Alliance trade blocs as well on agricultural issues including Right2Repair. He also provides thoughtful analysis on issues surrounding North American competitiveness and Canada-Mexico relations.
As Director of the Trade & Trade Infrastructure Centre, Carlo has a long history in international public policy including as Senior Fellow in the University of Ottawa’s School of International Development and non-Resident Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. He is also a member of the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI).
Opening Remarks
Miguel Cortines
Canadian Council for the Americas Alberta