Syria, Crimea to Boost Economic Cooperation

Yalta – President of the Crimean Republic Sergey Akseyonov met here on Saturday the Syrian delegation participating in the 5th Yalta International Economic Conference, chaired by Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade Dr. Mohammed Samer Al-Khalil. The two sides discussed the economic cooperation between the two countries.

During the meeting, Mr. Akseyonov noted that working groups have been formed in different directions of cooperation. A joint commercial house has been registered and we are currently working on the establishment of a shipping company.

The President of the Republic of Crimea indicated to the readiness of institutes and universities in his country is ready to teach students from Syria and the reception of 50 Syrian children and about 50 Syrian military wounded for rest and rehabilitation in the health facilities in the Crimea during the summer and autumn of the current year.

In a statement issued at the conclusion of the talks, the two sides stressed the mutual interest and desire for effective development of relations in all fields. They also stressed the importance of trade and economic cooperation through the agreement between the Cabinet of the Republic of Crimea of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade of the Syrian Arab Republic.

“The two parties stressed the importance of effective coordination of the establishment of a payment mechanism, taking into account the increase in the volume of external economic cooperation and unilateral coercive measures imposed on each. In this regard, the two sides will hold round tables and talks on issues of mutual interest by specialized experts,” the statement added.

The two sides confirmed the need to establish a “Syria, Crimea” cargo company to focus on the transport of goods between the ports of Crimea in the Russian Federation and Syria in the framework of trade and economic cooperation and the need to accelerate the conclusion of an agreement on cooperation between the ports of the Crimea and the General Company of Lattakia Port.

The two sides also agreed to exchange delegations in the field of science and higher education in the framework of training Syrian students in institutions of higher education in the Crimea and the development of cultural relations between Syria and the Crimea and continue to work on the preparation and holding of cultural events on the territories of the two countries in 2019 and 2020.

The two parties referred to the development of cooperation in the field of tourism, as the delegation of the Crimea expressed its readiness to send representatives in the tourism industry to Syria to study opportunities for cooperation and offer tourism and entertainment potential in both countries.

Talks with Russian friends in Yalta have been constructive and beneficial to both sides and “we have seen genuine and sincere will to cooperate with friends in Russia, Crimea and in a number of other countries,” he said in an interview with SANA correspondent in Moscow’.

With the conclusion of the fifth session of the Yalta International Economic Conference, we held an “important session of talks with the delegation of the Republic of Crimea concerning the overall cooperation relations between the two sides,” he said, adding that what has been achieved between the two sides during the past months and the decisions of the fourth session of the Economic Conference was reviewed.

Dr. al -Khalil described the economic conference as an “important experiment and achieved good achievements.” He said that all interested parties and observers were briefed on the reality of the Syrian economy and the consequences of the terrorist war on Syria and the obstacles resulting from unilateral coercive economic measures imposed by the United States of America and some countries that increased the suffering of Syrian citizens in various areas of life and led to delaying the rotation of the wheel of economic life.

Sharif al- Khatib