Tehran- The Director General of the International Exhibitions Company of the Iranian Ministry of Industry, Minerals and Trade, Bahman Hussein Nejad, affirmed here today that the Iranian companies are ready to participate extensively at the Damascus International Fair in its 61st session.

During a meeting with Syrian Ambassador to Tehran Dr. Adnan Mahmoud, Mr. Nejad said that we have a joint cooperation with Syria in the context of the establishment of the exhibitions and a license was given to a private Iranian company to coordinate with the Iranian companies to participate in the Damascus International Fair.

He expressed his confidence that the holding the Damascus International Fair and the wide participation of Iranian companies will achieve positive results for both sides.

The two sides discussed ways to achieve partnerships in the areas of trade, productivity, development, service and investment between the two countries in order to counter the effects of the economic embargo and unilateral economic measures imposed by the US and Western countries on Syria and Iran.

For his part, Mr. Mahmoud underlined the importance of the wide and effective participation of Iranian companies in the private and public sectors in Damascus International Fair in its 61st session because it provides an important opportunity to expand bilateral cooperation in various economic, industrial and agricultural fields especially after the return of security and stability to most Syrian regions.

He pointed to the role that Iranian companies can play in the reconstruction in Syria, stressing the importance of joint work to translate strategic relations, especially in its economic and investment dimension, to serve the interests of both countries and peoples.

During his meeting with Mohammed Reda Moudoudi, head of the Trade and Export Development Organization of the Iranian Ministry of Industry, Minerals and Trade, Mr. Mahmoud highlighted the importance of cooperation between the public and private sectors in both countries to achieve tangible results in the face of coercive economic measures imposed on them.

"The Syrian government will provide the necessary facilities for the wide participation of Iranian companies in the exhibition reiterating the importance of investing the free trade agreement to increase the volume of trade exchange between the two countries and opening production lines in Syria for all the products needed by the Syrian market for economic integration", Mr. Mahmoud said during the meeting.

For his part, Mr. Moudoudi said: "We will pave the way for the largest Iranian companies to participate extensively in the Damascus International Fair and work with the Syrian side in promoting joint cooperation in various productive and economic sectors."

"The importance of the work to provide the ground for the establishment of projects with quick financial revenues to be invested in the implementation of infrastructure projects, stressing the importance of cooperation in the field of transport, banking transactions and tariff reductions to facilitate the flow of goods and achieve a required level in the volume of trade exchange," Mr. Moudoudi confirmed.

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Damascus-The Syrian private sector has great potential that can contribute to the process of development and reconstruction by focusing on supporting direct investment in the productive and service sectors with high added value and following the development and rehabilitation of the public sector according to the requirements of economic competition and seeking to achieve joint work teams with the government covering all sectors and economic activities.

In an interview with the SANA Economic Bulletin, the head of the Damascus Rural Chamber of Commerce, Waseem Al-Qattan, said that the importance of working to bring the experiences and funds of the Syrian business sector in the service of the development process by investing and rehabilitating the companies of the public sector which is suspended or destroyed to re-activate them from the government's invitation to the unions to be partners in the process of economic development, decision-making and strategy.

Mr. Al-Qattan explained that the Ministry of Industry has about 15 companies and factories that are proposed for partnership with the private sector representing profitable investment opportunities including the company of glass in Damascus, al Khomaseyeh company, al Arabia for cement, liquid batteries in Aleppo, tire factory in Hama and wood plant in Lattakia and others.

Members of chambers and federations of commerce, industry, and others can rehabilitate, operate and invest these companies and benefit from their experience in management and investment to be a successful model of partnership, in order to secure the local market needs of products and meet the requirements of the construction process and ensure tens of thousands of jobs, according to Al-Qattan.

As for the participation of the private sector in the 61st session of the Damascus International Fair, Mr. Al-Qattan affirmed the ongoing invitations of businessmen delegations from sisterly and friendly countries either directly or through the joint Arab and foreign chambers to visit the fair in coordination with the Ministries of Tourism and Transport and others to secure discounts for the transfer of delegations and their residence. He noted that the UAE will send about 40 businessmen who have reserved 500 square meters and Oman will participate with an official delegation ranging from 20 to 30 businessmen who booked 300 square meters in addition to delegations from Egypt, Jordan and Iraq, while China, Russia and Iran reserved their own private pavilions at the fair..

The private business sector plays an important role in community development by supporting educational, cultural and tourism initiatives. The Board of Directors of the Damascus Rural Chamber of Commerce has provided 100 million SP to support the educational process through rehabilitating damaged schools in Damascus Countryside. Mr. Al-Qattan said.

In a previous statement, the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce confirmed the ability of the Syrian economy and its private sector to define their own potential and without external funding to contribute about 40 percent of the cost of reconstruction if appropriate work is available.

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Lattakia-Sudanese Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Babeker Osman Mohamed Ali, confirmed the importance of opening horizons for cooperation in the field of agriculture and commodity exchange between Syria and Sudan, highlighting the non-stop production wheel and research in the agricultural field despite the conditions experienced by Syria.

After a tour by a delegation from the Sudanese Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on Tuesday to the research centers of the Sn and Buqa affiliated to the Arab Center for Studies of Drylands and Arid Zones (ACSAD) and the products of rural women, the Sudanese minister noted the work carried out by the agricultural research centers to develop the agricultural reality and the role played by Syrian woman in the agricultural sector expressing the hope to strengthen cooperation between the two brotherly countries.

During a meeting at the Directorate of Agriculture, the Director of Agriculture Eng. Munther Khair Beik presented a comprehensive presentation on the agricultural reality in all its aspects and the agricultural crops produced by the province and the most important citrus fruits, olives and apples.

Eng. Khairbeik pointed to the importance of cooperation and commodity exchange between the two countries, especially that there is surplus in agricultural production in the province especially citrus and olives, expressing the hope that this visit to the province is the first for cooperation in the agricultural field between the two sides.

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HOMS, (ST)-Homs Agriculture Directorate has estimated the cherry production of the Syrian province of Homs for this year at almost 7598 tons planted in a total irrigated and rain-fed area of 7331 dunums. 

Deputy Director of Agriculture, Tawfeek al-Hasan said in a statement to SANA reporter that the number of cherry trees planted in the irrigated area is 11980, including 7980 fruitful trees, whereas the number of the trees in the rain-fed areas is 281710, including 231560 fruitful ones. 

DAMASCUS- Minister of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection Dr. Atef Naddaf met here on Monday a delegation representing the United Russia Party chaired by Dimitri Burya. The two sides discussed ways to promote and develop economic cooperation relations and trade exchange between Syria and Russia.

Talks focused on the need to establish joint projects and open new horizons for economic cooperation between the two countries in order to upgrade the level of relations between the two countries.

The two sides also discussed the possibility of training and qualifying administrative and technical cadres, developing administrative work systems and automating the work of the ministry's institutions. The Russian side expressed its readiness to provide all that would increase the level of administrative work to ensure reduction of waste, increase productivity and production.

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