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Friday, March 29, 2024

Q&A

ignacio de la torre

Ignacio De La Torre on microfinance: “It is profitable and sustainable”

ByTheEast: As the founder of Financieros sin Fronteras, you have a wide angle about how foreign countries run their monetary system, about microfinance. How would you compare Spain with other Mediterranean countries? De la Torre:...
nadim houry interview ARI bytheeast

Nadim Houry on Lebanon: “The public sphere is left to rot”

ByTheEast: Since 2011, the Arab countries followed different paths. What have they in common in 2020? Nadim Houry: The Arab world and the MENA region are plunged into...
brazil rubens hannun

Rubens Hannun on Brazilian trade: “Closeness with Arab countries is strategic”

ByTheEast: The Câmara de Comércio Árabe-Brasileira (CCAB, Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce) was founded 67 years ago. Times were different then. What was its mission initially? How did it evolve?
jacques sarraf lebanon russia

Jacques Sarraf on Lebanon-Russia: “We need to establish strategic relations”

ByTheEast: How old are the bounds between Lebanon and Russia?  Jacques Sarraf: The first contact between Russia and the Lebanese population dates back to the reign of Tsar Ivan IV, who decided to support the...
lynn maalouf bytheeast amnesty international

Lynn Maalouf on death penalty: “Lebanon could play a role model”

ByTheEast: Let’s begin by getting a general overview of the human rights scene in Lebanon. Do you see any signs of progress over the last 10 years? Lynn Maalouf:...
Guilherme Casarões

Guilherme Casarões on Brazil: “Trade relationships with the Middle East are not easy”

ByTheEast: Brazil was a net importer of agricultural products in the 1970s. It now ranks among the world’s five largest agricultural producers and exporters. Can it overtake the others? Guilherme Casarões: Brazil has come a...
Tom Butler mining ICMM ByTheEast

Tom Butler on mining sector: “We are expected to do good not just do well”

ByTheEast: ICMM focuses on mining companies’ values, such as sustainable development and CSR (Corporate social responsibility). How can you help them to improve their policy? Tom Butler: ICMM...
tatiana weber world bank

Tatiana Weber on Egypt: “Education is the top priority”

ByTheEast: According to a report published by the World Economic Forum, Egypt’s economy ranks 11th in the Middle East. How can you explain this bad ranking? Weber: In the 2017-2018 Global Competitiveness Index published by...

Karim Daoud on sustainable agriculture: “We should respect our Mediterranean diet”

ByTheEast: A transition towards sustainable agriculture in Tunisia is crucial. But Tunisian agricultural income, which usually represents 11% of its GDP, has shrunk to 9%. What are the reasons for this...
fadia safi bytheeast sesobel

Fadia Safi on financing NGOs: “We don’t want to shut Sesobel’s door”

ByTheEast: At the beginning of June 2019, you had announced you would be closing the gates of Sesobel on June 28, and that you would not be taking new applications because...