The Syrian-Abkhaz Joint Committee holds its first session in Damascus

Damascus,(ST)-The Syrian-Abkhaz Joint Committee for Economic, Commercial, Scientific and Cultural Cooperation held its first session in Damascus in the presence of  Prime Minister, Engineer Hussein Arnous, and the President of the Republic of Abkhazia Aslan Bzhania.

In a speech during the meeting, Eng. Arnous stressed the importance of  joint efforts to enhance the horizons of cooperation in the common interest of the two friendly peoples in light of the challenges facing their insistence on preserving their national and sovereign decisions, pointing to the Syrian government’s keenness to implement the directives of President Bashar Al-Assad to take all necessary measures and decisions to consolidate Bonds of cooperation between Syria and the Republic of Abkhazia confirms the sincere will to establish fruitful economic cooperation.

For his part, the Abkhaz President  Bzhania affirmed that the joint committee constitutes a good base for work between the two sides to develop cooperation in various fields, pointing out that there will be future joint meetings in the business sector and governmental and private companies to find specific mechanisms for cooperation and implementation that will contribute to enhancing trade exchange and scientific, educational and cultural cooperation, and exchange students.

Earlier, Prime Minister and President Bzhania held a session of talks focusing on the future of cooperation between the two countries and the need for taking executive steps for joint investment on various economic potentials.

During  the meeting, the Syrian-Abkhaz Joint Committee discussed cooperation in the fields of transportation, tourism, education, agriculture and the prospects for their development, as Dr. Muhammad Samer Al-Khalil, Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade, Head of the Syrian side in the joint committee, explained that the true and sincere will of the two countries will contribute to strengthen and develop bilateral relations.

For her part, the Deputy Prime Minister of Abkhazia, Minister of Economy and Head of the Abkhaz side in the Joint Committee, Christina Ozgan Konstantinovna, said: We will seek to establish joint projects covering various sectors, organize methods of transporting goods from Abkhazia to Syria, strengthen tourism relations, organize economic relations and strengthen relations in the fields of culture and agriculture.

At the conclusion of the committee meeting, a protocol for the meetings of the first session of the Syrian-Abkhaz Joint Committee for Economic, Scientific, Cultural and Technical Cooperation was signed, and a cooperation agreement between the Syrian and Abkhaz ports and another in the field of tourism.

Haifaa Mafalani