The Syrian-Iraqi Business Forum discusses the difficulties facing economic and trade cooperation

Damascus (ST): Participants in the Syrian-Iraqi Business Forum discussed the difficulties facing economic and commercial cooperation between the businessmen of the two countries and proposals that would facilitate the work of the private sector, encourage investment and establish partnerships to increase and raise the level of economic and trade relations between the two countries.

The head of the Syrian-Iraqi Business Council, Muhammad Nasser Al-Sawah, said in a speech: “The title of our meeting  is to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood and amity that our ancestors planted, through an open dialogue to eliminate the economic obstacles  facing us, and to consult on ways of cooperation and on the solutions required to come up with recommendations.”

Al-Sawah called on the Iraqi side to review the new investment law No. 18 of 2021 and its amendments to work on establishing joint investments to enhance cooperation between the two countries, expressing appreciation over Iraq’s support for the people of Syria during the earthquake disaster.

For his part, the Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade, Dr. Muhammad Samer Al-Khalil, stated that the forum is important and characterized by privacy because it is the first time that Syrian businessmen of all sectors meet with government officials from the Iraqi side, for a common goal which is to remove obstacles that prevent the development of the volume of trade exchange.

Minister Al-Khalil pointed out that Syria and Iraq over decades have had a very high level of trade exchange between them which provided an opportunity for many establishments in many different industrial sectors as well as agricultural products to manufacture and grow what the Iraqi market needs, indicating that the forum is a real opportunity to know the prospects for cooperation and the suggestions offered by businessmen, industrialists and traders, to develop relations.

The Iraqi Minister of Trade, Atheer Al-Ghurairy, considered that the Syrian-Iraqi Business Forum and the meetings of the eleventh session of the joint Syrian-Iraqi committee constitute an opportunity to launch a new phase of joint relations between the two countries that will be reflected in trade and economic exchange and all other sectors.

The Minister of Industry, Dr. Abdul Qadir Jokhadar, underlined  the importance of cooperation and exchange of experiences in all industrial sectors related to the textile, plastic and food industries, as well as the petrochemical industries, the opening of industrial cities and the exchange of visits between the chambers of industry in Syria and Iraq. He indicated that the issue of establishing industrial zones on the borders was discussed, and channels of communication were opened between the two sides to facilitate and study the proposed projects and to address practically the joint investments between the two countries in the industrial sector.

K.Q.