I am writing this letter to clarify certain points concerning the report about Brazil, titled “Brazil president seeks to calm fears over meat sales, exports,” published in Arab News on March 21.
As stated in the above-mentioned report, Brazilian President Michel Temer convened a ministerial meeting on March 19 in order to assess the safety for both national and international consumers with regard to the quality of the beef and chicken meat produced in the country. The government of Brazil has decided to speed up the audit process in the 21 establishments cited in the Federal Police investigation and their activities have been suspended. All the 21 establishments will be placed under special inspection regime conducted by a specific task force of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA).
The Government of Brazil highlights that among 11,000 employees of MAPA, only 33 are being investigated by the Federal Police for misconduct in the issuance of certificates.
Out of 4,837 establishments subject to the Federal Inspection System (SlF), only 21 are allegedly involved in irregularities and out of these 21, only 4 establishments have exported in the last years.
The objective of the investigation conducted by the Federal Police is not on the agriculture and livestock defense system in place in Brazil, whose rigor is widely recognized, but a few deviations of conduct by Federal Veterinary Inspectors.
Foreign governments should be assured that all exporting plants remain open to inspections by importing countries and to the monitoring of activities under the national control system, one of the most respected in the world.
The Government of Brazil reiterates that MAPA will fully cooperate with the current investigations in order to determine eventual misconduct by Federal Veterinary Inspectors within the agriculture and livestock defense system.
The Government of Brazil manifests its confidence in the quality of the national poultry and beef products, which has been approved by consumers in highly demanding markets around the world with very advanced inspection and defense systems. MAPA has a strict inspection service for products of animal origin.
The standard of excellence of Brazilian poultry and beef has opened the doors of such Brazilian products to over 150 countries, with permanent auditing, monitoring and risk assessment. In addition to the national controls, products are also subject to local inspection on reaching their destinations.
In 2016 alone, 853,000 consignments of products of animal origin from Brazil were sent to foreign markets and only 184 were considered out of compliance by importers often because of non-sanitary issues, such as labeling, documentation or incomplete certificates.
I hope the actions which were taken by the Brazilian government and these official clarifications would help give a clear picture on the situation to the consumers of Brazilian meat and poultry in all importing countries, including Saudi Arabia, which is the third largest importer of Brazilian poultry in the world.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the editor in chief, his team and Arab News for bringing correct information and convey my sincere appreciation on the efforts Arab News is making in bringing correct information to its readers as well as the positive and creative roles Arab News is playing in the bilateral and multilateral arena.
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Brazil is taking all safety measures
Brazil is taking all safety measures
Cartoon in bad taste
I wish to use my “right of reply” to complain about the unfortunate caricature that appeared on Aug. 5, 2017, in your well-known newspaper. The cartoon represents President Nicolas Maduro sitting on a military tank and a hand coming out of the tank’s cannon writing on a book titled “New Constitution.” Such a caricature is offensive to my country.
What the caricature seems to imply is that President Maduro wants to rewrite a new constitution with the power of arms. This is totally false. It is immoral to give your readers such a forged image of Venezuela and its constitutionally- and democratically-elected government.
The revision of our constitution, which is among the best in the world, is mainly to reinforce it and make it more adaptable to the new times. It is not an imposition of our president; it has been backed by more than 8 million Venezuelans and has the objective of re-establishing the peace process that has been trampled by a violent opposition backed by interested foreign countries that pretend to give orders to our sovereign populace.
I fail to understand why some international media report fake news about my country, with the purpose of undermining our sovereignty, and the people of Venezuela’s absolute right to decide, in a free and independent manner, how it wants to conduct its internal affairs.
I invite your newspaper to inform about our country with the truth and the same respect that we, in Venezuela, treat to our brothers of Saudi Arabia.
Joseba Achutegui
Ambassador of Venezuela
Riyadh
Saudi Arabia
Syrian civil war
Since it broke out six years ago, the disastrous war in Syria has claimed about 400,000 lives, with the victims being more civilians than fighters. Of the civilians, the most affected are women and children. Peace is shattered in and around Syria only to safeguard the most selfish monster in the world: Bashar Assad.
According to a UNICEF report, grave violations against Syrian children during the war have been recorded. The children in Syria are not only maimed and killed as a result of bombings but also forcefully recruited to be part of the conflict. Children as young as 7 years old are pushed into the front line as fighters, suicide bombers and executioners! The actual figures of those injured, dead and forcefully-recruited children are far higher than in the UNICEF report.
The innocent children “used” in the conflict have had the right to blossom, the right to enjoy life and the right to be on a play-ground torn from them. They have been deprived of the right to education and, according to UNICEF, nearly two million children have been forced to stop their education with one-third of school buildings rendered inoperative due to destruction.
With their often physically crippled parents, the children have to be the sole bread-winners in nearly 75 percent of Syrian households. Unwillingly, the children are forced to serve as garbage collectors, hairdressers and cleaners. Keeping aside what Assad gets out of this war, the beneficiaries of the war are weapon manufacturers who may well be dubbed parasites living on the blood of innocents.
Assad, the inhuman butcher of humanity, does not care what the world says, opines, suggests and warns about the catastrophic war in Syria. More than the ruinous acts of Assad, Russia and Iran, it shocks, grieves and pains to see that the world and the Muslim world has done nothing to stop the butcher of this century from his brutal and barbaric destruction of his own nation and his own people.
According to a UNICEF report, grave violations against Syrian children during the war have been recorded. The children in Syria are not only maimed and killed as a result of bombings but also forcefully recruited to be part of the conflict. Children as young as 7 years old are pushed into the front line as fighters, suicide bombers and executioners! The actual figures of those injured, dead and forcefully-recruited children are far higher than in the UNICEF report.
The innocent children “used” in the conflict have had the right to blossom, the right to enjoy life and the right to be on a play-ground torn from them. They have been deprived of the right to education and, according to UNICEF, nearly two million children have been forced to stop their education with one-third of school buildings rendered inoperative due to destruction.
With their often physically crippled parents, the children have to be the sole bread-winners in nearly 75 percent of Syrian households. Unwillingly, the children are forced to serve as garbage collectors, hairdressers and cleaners. Keeping aside what Assad gets out of this war, the beneficiaries of the war are weapon manufacturers who may well be dubbed parasites living on the blood of innocents.
Assad, the inhuman butcher of humanity, does not care what the world says, opines, suggests and warns about the catastrophic war in Syria. More than the ruinous acts of Assad, Russia and Iran, it shocks, grieves and pains to see that the world and the Muslim world has done nothing to stop the butcher of this century from his brutal and barbaric destruction of his own nation and his own people.
Spies deserve ‘harsh punishment’
This refers to the story “Pakistan’s army sentences alleged Indian spy to death” (April 11, 2017). Since the announcement of the death penalty for Kulbhushan Jadhav, the Indian intelligence agent who was involved in various terrorist activities in Pakistan, the Indian media are making false allegations against Islamabad.
We are citizens of a sovereign country. No one can dictate to us how to ensure the security of our people. Jadhav’s confession regarding his activities in Pakistan is available on YouTube. That should be enough for the Indian authorities.
A spy that conducts and masterminds terrorist activities that result in the death of many people has to face harsh punishment.
I firmly believe that if the death penalty is waived in Jadhav’s case, the consequences will be worse and terrorist acts will escalate in our country.
This must come to an end.
As Sartaj Aziz, adviser on foreign affairs to the prime minister, pointed out in his recent statement, Jadhav was tried according to the law of the land, in a fully transparent manner, while granting him his rights, as per the constitution of Pakistan.
Due process has been followed in the proceedings against him.
Jadhav, a serving commander in the Indian Navy, was apprehended on March 3, 2016, having crossed into Pakistan from the Saravan border with Iran.
He was found in possession of an Indian passport issued by the government of India on May 12, 2015, and valid until May 11, 2024.
He confessed that he is a resident of Mumbai, India, still serving in the Indian Navy and that his retirement is due in 2022.
New Delhi should not underestimate the fact that the entire Pakistani population is behind the Pakistan Army.
We, Pakistanis, have been victims of massive terrorist acts for decades.
I am sure that our government and armed forces understand that there shall be no compromise where Jadhav is concerned. — Farheen Ayub, Taif
We are citizens of a sovereign country. No one can dictate to us how to ensure the security of our people. Jadhav’s confession regarding his activities in Pakistan is available on YouTube. That should be enough for the Indian authorities.
A spy that conducts and masterminds terrorist activities that result in the death of many people has to face harsh punishment.
I firmly believe that if the death penalty is waived in Jadhav’s case, the consequences will be worse and terrorist acts will escalate in our country.
This must come to an end.
As Sartaj Aziz, adviser on foreign affairs to the prime minister, pointed out in his recent statement, Jadhav was tried according to the law of the land, in a fully transparent manner, while granting him his rights, as per the constitution of Pakistan.
Due process has been followed in the proceedings against him.
Jadhav, a serving commander in the Indian Navy, was apprehended on March 3, 2016, having crossed into Pakistan from the Saravan border with Iran.
He was found in possession of an Indian passport issued by the government of India on May 12, 2015, and valid until May 11, 2024.
He confessed that he is a resident of Mumbai, India, still serving in the Indian Navy and that his retirement is due in 2022.
New Delhi should not underestimate the fact that the entire Pakistani population is behind the Pakistan Army.
We, Pakistanis, have been victims of massive terrorist acts for decades.
I am sure that our government and armed forces understand that there shall be no compromise where Jadhav is concerned. — Farheen Ayub, Taif
World must unite against terrorists
This refers to the story “Three killed as truck smashes into crowd in Stockholm” (April 8, 2017).
Terrorism has nothing to do with religion. Daesh is a terrorist group and all of us believe that it needs to be crushed as soon as possible. It is very sad how these criminals take lives of innocent people.
Many South Asians are also victims of terrorism. As a Pakistani, I believe there is no such thing as good militants and bad militants. terrorists are terrorists and must be dealt with force.
I am proud that my country has done whatever it could to fight such terror groups, and we have paid a heavy price for this. I must say that the international community must unite and fight radicalism together.
In these tough times, my prayers are with the families and friends of those who lost their lives in Stockholm attack.
Terrorism has nothing to do with religion. Daesh is a terrorist group and all of us believe that it needs to be crushed as soon as possible. It is very sad how these criminals take lives of innocent people.
Many South Asians are also victims of terrorism. As a Pakistani, I believe there is no such thing as good militants and bad militants. terrorists are terrorists and must be dealt with force.
I am proud that my country has done whatever it could to fight such terror groups, and we have paid a heavy price for this. I must say that the international community must unite and fight radicalism together.
In these tough times, my prayers are with the families and friends of those who lost their lives in Stockholm attack.
Six Flag project
This refers to the story “Saudi Arabia’s largest cultural, sports and entertainment city announced” (April 8).
The expat community is very pleased to hear about Six Flag entertainment project in the Kingdom.
According to the report, Six Flags city will become a prominent landmark and an important center for meeting the future generation’s recreational, cultural and social needs in the country.
The Saudi Vision 2030 is a positive step and we hope the expat community plays a role in it, side by side with Saudi brothers and sisters.
The expat community is very pleased to hear about Six Flag entertainment project in the Kingdom.
According to the report, Six Flags city will become a prominent landmark and an important center for meeting the future generation’s recreational, cultural and social needs in the country.
The Saudi Vision 2030 is a positive step and we hope the expat community plays a role in it, side by side with Saudi brothers and sisters.
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