Damascus - Sana
Minister of Industry Ziad Subhi Sabbagh and his Iraqi counterpart Manhal Aziz Khabbaz discussed ways to improve economic and industrial relations and establish partnerships to advance the industrial sector in Syria and Iraq in a way that achieves industrial integration between the two countries and benefits the two brotherly peoples.
During a meeting with the Iraqi minister and the accompanying delegation in Damascus today, Minister Sabbagh stressed the depth of the brotherly relationship between Syria and Iraq and the need to develop industrial cooperation, especially that the industrial sector in the two countries has been subjected to systematic destruction, which requires solidarity and coordination for its renaissance and the rotation of the wheel of production to meet the needs of the peoples of various commodities. .
Minister Sabbagh called on his Iraqi counterpart to work with the ministries and concerned authorities in Iraq to overcome the difficulties facing the export of Syrian products and their flow in the Iraqi markets related to high customs duties, entry of Syrian trucks and their drivers, registration of Syrian pharmaceutical laboratories in Iraq and facilitating the entry of their products.
For his part, the Iraqi Minister of Industry considered that the visit comes with the aim of finding consensual formulas for all the issues raised, proceeding in a joint industry, expanding trade exchange between the two countries, and finding a working mechanism so that there is real integration between Syria and Iraq and the settlement of a real industry in the two countries.
The Iraqi minister indicated that because of the war, most of the factories in Iraq, especially pharmaceutical and textiles such as paper, veterinary and chemical medicines, stopped, calling on Syrian businessmen and industrialists to work on establishing partnerships with their Iraqi counterparts and benefiting from Syrian experiences in the fields of manufacturing and training cadres for the renaissance of the Iraqi industrial sector and the establishment of joint factories. In light of the availability of raw materials available in Iraq, in addition to the development of some industries, such as the manufacture of appliances, electrical equipment and cement, which enables us to establish industrial integration in many areas.
For his part, the head of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Industry, Eng. Faris Al-Shihabi, expressed the willingness of Syrian industrialists to work and cooperate with their Iraqi counterparts, to provide Iraq with Syrian products of high quality, to compete strongly, to establish partnerships, to transfer Syrian expertise and experiences in various fields, and to establish a common market through which Syrian and Iraqi goods flow easily and easily.
For his part, the head of the Damascus Chamber of Industry and its countryside, Samer al-Dibs, pointed to the common desire of Syrian and Iraqi businessmen and industrialists to establish industrial and commercial companies between the two countries, proposing the establishment of joint industrial zones in them.
The head of the Homs Chamber of Industry Labib the Brotherhood pointed out that the two countries are on the verge of an upcoming breakthrough, which enhances the correctness of the trend to establish joint investments.
For his part, head of the Iraqi Federation of Industries, Adel Akab Al-Hussein, said, “We have 57,000 factories in Iraq, most of them are discontinued, and we need Syrian expertise to restart them, and we are ready to provide all the necessary facilities, pointing out that there are many incentives to invest in the Iraqi industrial cities.”
In his turn, the advisor to the Iraqi Minister of Industry for Development Affairs, Caesar Ahmar Akla, pointed to the legislative environment for investment in Iraq, which includes many incentives, facilities, and exemptions, with the possibility of establishing partnerships between Iraqi and Syrian businessmen, who are welcome with the availability of many guarantees.
The two delegations agreed to form workshops and specialized committees from both sides in each field in order to reach fruitful results during the days of the visit.
The visit of the Iraqi Minister of Industry and the accompanying delegation continues for several days, including meetings with ministers and chambers of industry in Damascus and Aleppo, and visits to public and private industrial facilities in Damascus and its countryside, Homs and Aleppo, and concludes with the signing of the minutes of the joint meeting by the ministers of industry in the two countries.
From the Syrian side, the meeting was attended by the assistant minister of industry, head of Hama Chamber of Industry Ziyad Arabo, directors of public institutions and a number of central managers in the Ministry of Industry, while members of the Iraqi delegation participated in the meeting.
Ahmed Suleiman-Tariq Al-Sayed
