The Syrian-Emirati Business Council held a meeting on Sunday evening at the Damascus-based Four Seasons Hotel.
The meeting focused on the council’s work plan for the next stage, which includes developing economic relations between Syria and the UAE and establishing economic partnerships.
Chairman of the Council Ghazwan al-Masri stressed the importance of seeking to increase trade exchange and establish investment projects between the two countries, in addition to encouraging Syrian and UAE businessmen to invest in Syria.
Masri called for benefiting from the progress achieved by the UAE in alternative energy projects and activating the industry, tourism, agriculture and health sectors to reflect positively on the peoples of the two countries and ensure the availability of products at acceptable prices and with guaranteed quality.
He stressed that the UAE is one of Syria’s most important trading partners at the global level, as it ranks first in the Arab world and third globally in the commercial field and holds 14% of Syria’s foreign trade.
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The Vice-Chairman of the Council, Anas Maatouk, stated that the council’s goal is to improve the reality of investments, activate trade and investment exchange with the UAE in all fields, and benefit from Investment Law No. 18 of 2021 and the attractive environment for investment in Syria.
Maatouk urged the Syrian side to benefit from all business prospects in the UAE by forming solid partnerships with it.
He added that the council’s work plan for the coming year includes preparing for mutual visits by businessmen in the two countries, increasing the space for the Food Expo, urging Syrian businessmen to visit exhibitions held in the UAE, activating the movement of exports, and urging Emirati businessmen to invest in Syria in various sectors, including renewable energy, health, industry, agriculture, tourism and training and rehabilitation projects for Syrian human resources.
Iran
Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform Mohammad Hassan Qatana discussed Sunday with Hasan Shakhsi, head of the Iranian-Syrian Friendship Committee and the accompanying delegation cooperation aspects in the agriculture domain.
Qatana said that the war circumstances and the climate changes decreased the planted areas of some crops, stressing the need to import production equipment such as fertilizers, fodders, and power supplies, in addition to modern agricultural machines, and he noted the importance of cooperation with the Iranian side to secure these needs.
It is important to develop cooperation in the field of livestock, agricultural mechanization, glass greenhouses and benefit from Iranian experiences in these fields, Qatana added.
In turn, Shakhsi voices the committee’s readiness to improve agricultural cooperation with Syria after developing the appropriate technical formulas and consensus on the working mechanism.
UNHCR
Minister of Local Administration and Environment Hussein Makhlouf met Sunday with the United Nations’ High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Syria, Sivanka Dhanapala, to discuss areas of bilateral cooperation and the possibility of participation in supporting the safe return of Syrian displaced to the homeland.
Makhlouf said that creating conditions for the voluntary and safe return of the Syrians to the homeland is one of the Syrian state’s priorities while simultaneously completing the rehabilitation of the infrastructure in the areas liberated from terrorism and providing all facilities for displaced return.
Makhlouf highlighted the doors are open for all the Syrians abroad to return and contribute to rebuilding their home.
He noted the importance of the projects carried out in cooperation with the UNHCR, especially lighting projects with renewable energy, restoring the affected houses and setting up temporary housing shelters, and rehabilitating the infrastructure in various areas.
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
