Damascus - Sana
With the wide participation of representatives of the industrial and commercial sectors in Syria and Iran, the Ministries of Economy, Foreign Trade and Industry, in cooperation with the Iranian Ministry of Industry, Trade and Mines, held at Dama Rose Hotel in Damascus this evening the “Syrian-Iranian Foundation Investment Forum” to discuss and discuss joint investment opportunities available under the current circumstances.
At the conclusion of the forum, which dealt with investment axes in the sectors of industry, economy, and foreign trade, the participants recommended the formation of a joint committee from the Syrian and Iranian governments, comprising representatives from the Customs Administration, the Standards Authority, the Investment Authority, the ministries of health, tourism and free zones, and two members from the Joint Chamber of Commerce in order to overcome obstacles and follow up on issues raised in this field. Between the two countries.
Emphasis was placed on the establishment of four exhibitions for the sale of Syrian products in four different Iranian provinces, holding “agricultural, industrial and commercial” economic forums at a rate of one every two months “once in Iran and once in Syria” and allowing Syrian goods to enter the Iranian market without customs duties in support of the Syrian economy and re-exporting them to neighboring countries of Iran.
It was also agreed to work on solving the problems of Iranian companies investing in Syria, continue communication to solve the problem of land freight between the two countries through Iraq, follow up on the proposal to form a joint shipping company, work on solving the problem of remittances, study the possibility of exchange in local currencies, encourage medical, environmental and recreational tourism, and increase the number of flights between the two countries.
In his speech, Fahd Darwish, head of the Syrian-Iranian Joint Commercial Committee, affirmed from the Syrian side that joint cooperation between the two countries is heading towards seizing investment opportunities by supporting faltering factories and industrial networking based on technology transfer, modern production lines, good raw materials, engineering expertise, and opening the doors of agricultural, industrial and commercial investment. and tourist.
In turn, Muhannad Jarkas, Director of Technical Affairs at the Ministry of Industry, reviewed the reality of industrial facilities that were destroyed and sabotaged as a result of terrorism, stressing that the ministry is interested in receiving offers from investors wishing to rehabilitate, invest and operate these facilities and enter them into the production process. Many of them are stationed in Homs, Hama, Tartous, Latakia, Damascus countryside and Aleppo .
Madian Diab, Director-General of the Syrian Investment Authority, spoke about the new investment law No. 18 of 2021, which aims to create a competitive investment environment to attract capital, benefit from expertise and various specializations, expand the production base, increase job opportunities, and raise economic growth rates, which will reflect positively on the increase in national income, noting the most important The advantages and incentives granted by law to the investor and tax exemptions for some industrial projects that depend on local resources.
The interventions of the attendees focused on the necessity of introducing the new investment law in the Iranian commercial and economic center, developing cooperation between private sector companies in both countries, inviting Iranian authorities to invest in the fields of agriculture, industry, tourism and renewable energies, benefiting from modern Iranian technologies in this field, and establishing an electronic system in the Syrian-Iranian Chamber of Commerce. The joint needs and capabilities of the two countries.
In response to the interventions, the Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade, Dr. Muhammad Samer Al-Khalil stressed the importance of the expertise and capabilities possessed by the two countries, pointing out that relations have reached an advanced stage at the level of networking, organization, decisions and procedures that help strengthen economic cooperation relations between the two countries, indicating that commercial cooperation between the two countries is not It is a final goal in itself, but rather a path towards achieving more cooperation at the investment level, thus achieving industrial and economic integration.
In turn, the Iranian Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade, Seyed Reza Fatemi Amin, affirmed the Iranian side's readiness to cooperate and consult with Syrian government officials in order to reach solutions to the problems, especially those related to transport, exports, transfer of funds and exemption of goods from customs duties.
The forum included the signing of the minutes of the meetings of the joint commercial and industrial committees, the presentation of films on industrial facilities destroyed as a result of terrorism and industrial facilities in the private sector, and a presentation on the import substitution program and the advantages it provides to producers and industrialists wishing to invest or re-operate and expand their facilities.
The forum was attended by Minister of Industry Ziad Sabbagh, a number of members of the People's Assembly, the Iranian Shura Council, the Iranian ambassador to Damascus, Mahdi Sobhani, and members of the Federations of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture.
Manar Deeb and Helena Al Hindi
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