Syria, Iran to start new phase of economic cooperation soon

Tehran, SANA- Iranian Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Farhad Dejpasand underlined the necessity of enhancing the Iranian-Syrian economic relations and upgrading them to the level of the distinguished political relations. Meeting the Syrian-Iranian Parliamentary Friendship Committee on Monday, Dejpasand said that “deepening economic relations between the two countries entails broadening prospects of cooperation in the domain of banking relations.” He added that exporting Iranian goods to Syria will play a key role in the reconstruction in Syria. Regarding the joint investment in Syria, Dejpasand said “An agreement was signed in that domain and we should implement it,” The Iranian Minister hoped that the agreement which was forged during Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri’s visit to Syria will be signed soon. He underlined the importance of the bilateral cooperation more than ever, particularly after the unilateral coercive measures imposed on the two countries. “We have exerted remarkable efforts to eliminate terrorism as we can further cooperate in the reconstruction,” Dejpasand said, adding: “ We are preparing all the governmental and private potentials to build solid economic relations,”. He called for continuing meetings between the two countries to be a historic model of fraternity among nations, hailing the latest victories achieved by Syria in combating terrorism. For his part, Syria’s Ambassador in Tehran Dr. Adnan Mahmoud stressed that the economic unilateral coercive measures imposed on Syria and Iran constitute an opportunity for enhancing capabilities and economic progress. Mahmoud noted that the Syrian Government has given priority in its work program for the economic cooperation and partnership with Iran in the stage of reconstruction and all the production sectors. He called for activating the file of banking cooperation between the two countries as it is the basis for economic cooperation, in addition to establishing branches of the banks in the two countries, hoping that this visit will further strengthen the bilateral economic cooperation. Earlier on the day, the Syrian-Iranian Parliamentary Friendship Committee discussed in Tehran means to activate parliamentary relations between the two countries in all domains of cooperation including the political, economic and commercial ones. Vice-Chairman of the Committee on behalf of the Iranian side Ahmad Salek affirmed that Iran will continue to support Syria on different levels, hailing the importance of the agreements signed by the Syrian and Iranian sides in the cultural, scientific, economic and trade domains. Salek underlined the importance of setting up a joint chamber of commerce to develop the economic relations between the two countries, and establishing a General Secretariat for the Syrian-Iranian Parliament to follow up issues related to the work of parliamentarians and their aspirations. In turn, Ambassador Mahmoud underlined the importance of translating the strategic relations between Syria and Iran to have tangible outcomes, calling for bolstering capabilities in the face of the pressures and the unjust sanctions. He indicated that the Iranian Shura Council has been in the first line of defense of the Syrian people in their war against terrorism and its backers. Ambassador Mahmoud added that a new stage of economic cooperation between Syria and Iran will start soon, indicating that the executive framework of the agreement of joint chambers of commerce was signed to broaden the domains of cooperation between the two countries.