08 LC 18
7150
Senate
Resolution 1142
By:
Senators Hill of the 32nd and Pearson of the 51st
A
RESOLUTION
Recognizing
the establishment of the Brazilian Consulate General; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS,
Governor Sonny Perdue and newly appointed Brazilian Consul General Adalnio Senna
Ganem announced the opening of a new consulate general in Atlanta that will
serve the Brazilian community throughout the southeastern United States;
and
WHEREAS,
the Brazilian Consulate General will be one of Georgia's largest consulates,
employing a staff of up to 30 people when it reaches full capacity;
and
WHEREAS,
the Brazilian Consulate General will serve the States of Georgia, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama, and, in addition
to issuing visas and passports and performing other consular services, the
office will handle economic development and trade functions and promote trade,
investment, tourism, and academic and cultural relationships; and
WHEREAS,
prior to his appointment as consul general, Ambassador Adalnio Senna Ganem
served Brazil as Director of the Brazilian Trade Bureau in New York, Chief
International Advisor to Vice President Marco Maciel, Minister-Counsellor and
Chargé d'Affaires of the Brazilian Embassy in Paris, and Chief
International Advisor to two governors of São Paulo; and
WHEREAS,
by opening this major new consulate general, Brazil is recognizing the great
importance of its relationships with the southeastern United States and in
particular the central role Atlanta plays in those relationships;
and
WHEREAS,
Hemisphere, Inc., a public-private partnership which led the initiative to raise
awareness of Georgia's position as the premier gateway to the Southeast, made
multiple visits to Brazil and hosted numerous Brazilian delegation in Georgia
and the City of Atlanta, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce also
conducted significant outreach to the government of Brazil; and
WHEREAS,
the State of Georgia opened a trade office in São Paulo, Brazil, in 1994,
and in September, 2005, the office expanded to begin focusing on Georgia's
broader economic development interests, including investment, tourism, and film;
and
WHEREAS,
in December, 2007, the Department of Economic Development spearheaded a
fact-finding mission to Brazil to explore the nation's production and
distribution systems for ethanol, particularly cellulosic ethanol;
and
WHEREAS,
Brazil has become energy independent because of its extensive production and use
of ethanol as vehicle fuel as well as its burgeoning production of petroleum;
and
WHEREAS,
Brazil ranks tenth among Georgia's export destinations, with exports totaling
more than $430 million; and
WHEREAS,
Georgia imports $772.5 million from Brazil through the Savannah Customs
District; and
WHEREAS,
several Georgia companies, including AGCO Corp., Coca-Cola, Equifax, Newell
Rubbermaid, and Novelis, have operations in Brazil; and
WHEREAS,
Brazilian companies, including Artefacto, Bematech Corp., Forense US Design,
Gerdau SA, Houston American Cement, and WEG Electric Motors Corp., operate
facilities in Georgia; and
WHEREAS,
Georgia and Brazil currently have significant and mutually beneficial economic
ties, including, but not limited to, the location in this state of a number of
facilities operated by leading Brazilian industries; and
WHEREAS,
such economic ties provide jobs for Georgians, and it is in the best interest of
this state to increase such opportunities through expanded Brazilian industrial
operations, businesses, and investments in this state; and
WHEREAS,
it is the desire of this body to encourage greater collaborations and exchanges
between Georgia and Brazil in all fields of research.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize
the establishment of the Brazilian Consulate General.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Consul General Adalnio
Senna Ganem.