The Syrian-Iranian Business Forum discusses boosting joint commercial and investment work

The Syrian-Iranian Business Forum discussed ways to develop joint commercial and investment work. It looked into ways to activate the work of the business sector in the two countries, to enter into joint projects and move to the executive stages with the aim of improving economic relations.

During the forum, organized by the Joint Syrian-Iranian Chamber of Commerce Sundy evening in Damascus countryside, Assistant Minister of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection Rasha Karkouki confirmed the ministry’s readiness to provide possible facilities to develop joint Syrian-Iranian relations, also to receive proposals that would develop these relations between the two friendly countries.

For his part, Vice President of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce, Mazen Hammad, pointed to the fruitful cooperation between the two countries in the recent period in the field of building power stations and benefiting from expertise in the field of renewable energies, stressing the importance of focusing in the next stage on building this type of stations, to advance the economy within specific principles and control.

Hammad pointed out that the mechanism for forming the Board of Directors of the Syrian-Iranian Chamber of Commerce is carried out in accordance with the principles and regulating laws, and with the unanimous approval of the Council of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce, finally presented it to the Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection, as it is the sole authority and supervisor for the implementation of the laws of chambers of commerce in Syria.

Chairman of the Joint Syrian-Iranian Chamber of Commerce Fahd Darwish stressed the importance of intensifying efforts to activate the relations and agreements signed by the Syrian and Iranian sides through cooperation with the private sector.

Darwish expressed his hope that the Board of Directors, including the new members, will provide more serious and fruitful work to develop the work of the Joint Chamber of Commerce, overcome economic obstacles and find appropriate solutions to them, in order to raise Syrian-Iranian commercial and economic relations to the level of strategic relations between the two countries.

While the Iranian ambassador to Damascus, Hussein Akbari, confirmed that the Iranian embassy is focusing during the next stage on activating cooperation between the two countries in the economic file, as a free trade agreement has been signed that will enter into force next week, and traders of two countries will be able to exchange goods without customs fees and without obstacles.

He also pointed out that a joint insurance company has been established and is ready to be launched, indicating that work is underway with banks in Iran to activate the mechanism of trade exchange in the local currency, while also  preparing the infrastructure to increase the volume of Syrian-Iranian investments and bypass the sanctions imposed on the two countries.

For his part, a member of the Board of Directors of the Joint Syrian-Iranian Chamber of Commerce, Muhammad Khalouf Al-Nuaimi, pointed to the importance of the forum in overcoming the obstacles facing joint commercial work between the two countries.

This forum was held with the participation of Representatives of the Federations of the Syrian Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture and a group of businessmen interested in economic cooperation between Syria and Iran.

Leen Al Salman