The Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade of the Syrian regime that the 62nd Damascus International Fair was postponed for the second year in a row.
In a decision issued on Tuesday by Minister Mohammed Samer al-Khalil, the ministry said that the 62nd Damascus International Fair will be postponed, without offering specific reasons.
The event was scheduled to take place in late August, but will likely be postponed for another year due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The exhibition was not held last year due to the global spread of the virus and travel bans imposed by most airports around the world. Air traffic is returning to normal levels, however, following the start of vaccination campaigns around the world.
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Since 2017, the regime of Bashar al-Assad has been encouraging foreign companies to take part in the exhibition, which was reorganized after a six-year hiatus between 2011 and 2017. During this period, there were international warnings against participating in the exhibition and violating economic sanctions imposed on the Syrian regime.
The only companies that have participated in the past three exhibitions have been from “friendly countries” — which have maintained relations with the Assad regime — and companies that are especially committed from countries that have severed ties with the regime, such as Germany and France.
The United States had warned businesses and individuals against “harsh” sanctions if they took part in the 61st Damascus International Fair, which was organized by the regime’s government in 2019.
This article was translated and 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.
