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.

Baghdad - Speaker of the People's Assembly, Hamouda Sabbagh, discussed with Iraqi Minister of Planning Dr. Nuri al-Dulaimi the development of bilateral relations between Syria and Iraq.

During his meeting with the Iraqi minister at his residence at the Presidential Guest House in Baghdad, Mr. Sabbagh affirmed the importance of enhancing bilateral cooperation in the economic fields and exchanging experiences and investment between the two brotherly countries.

For his part, Mr. al -Dulaimi welcomed the participation of Syria in the conference of parliaments of neighboring countries of Iraq, noting in a statement to the correspondent of the historical relations between the two countries.

Mr. Al-Dulaimi said that Iraq is keen on the development of bilateral relations with Syria at all levels in order to face the challenges facing the region and in order to achieve economic integration, pointing to the importance of exchanging experiences and investment between the two countries to rebuild what was destroyed by terrorism.

Sh. Kh.

Beirut - Secretary General of the Syrian-Lebanese Higher Council, Nasri Khoury, affirmed the importance of cooperation and coordination between Syria and Lebanon in the economic field.

Mr. Khoury said in a statement to SANA correspondent in Beirut that cooperation would also contribute to breaking the unilateral coercive economic measures that the United States and its cooperating countries trying to impose on Syria.

He pointed out that the areas of cooperation are broad and should be the subject of discussion between the concerned authorities in the two countries to identify the areas required to cooperate within them.

 Rawaa Ghanam

Yalta - The Syrian delegation chaired by Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade, Dr. Mohammed Samer Al-Khalil, on the sidelines of the fifth Yalta international economic forum, discussed with Anatoly Bebelov, President of the Republic of South Ossetia and his accompanying delegation the economic relations between the two countries.

He said in an interview with SANA correspondent in Yalta that the delegation also discussed during his meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Economic Development of the Republic of Abkhazia ways to strengthen economic relations between Syria and Abkhazia, as well as the stages of implementing agreements signed between Syria, South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Yalta - Abkhaz Foreign Minister, Dauar Koufieh, said that his country and Syria are holding consultative meetings in a friendly atmosphere reflecting the depth of friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

"We discussed the prospects of developing bilateral relations and speeding up the implementation of the signed agreements," Mr. Koufieh said in an interview with SANA correspondent in Moscow on Saturday, following talks with Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade Dr. Mohammad Samer Al-Khalil on the sidelines of the Yalta Economic Forum, describing the bilateral relations as "traditionally nature."

"We agreed today on the subsequent steps of cooperation, taking into account the agreements reached earlier and ratified by the concerned parties in both countries," he added.