TURKISH MINISTER: TURKISH AND SYRIAN BUSINESSMEN SHOULD COOPERATE MORE

DAMASCUS (A.A) - 29.07.2010 - Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said that Turkish and Syrian businessmen should make more partnerships and cooperation.
Simsek and his Syrian counterpart Muhammad al-Husayn met with Turkish and Syrian businessmen in Damascus on Thursday.
Simsek said that Turkish-Syrian relations recorded a great progress, adding that businessmen of the two countries should establish a closer dialogue. He noted that the two countries should make cooperation and business in third countries.
He said that Turkey had been drawing 800 million USD of foreign investment annually till 2002, and this figure exceeded 80 billion USD in the last 4-5 years. 
Syrian minister said that they were ready to make partnerships with Turkish businessmen in banking and insurance sectors.
Noting that after visa was lifted between Turkey and Syria, tens of thousands of people used border gates, Husayn said that Syria-Turkey cooperation in border region was an example.
He said that the relations between Turkish and Syrian private sectors were very positive.
Husayn noted that Syria wanted to carry those relations to the highest level, adding that trade between Turkey and Syria should be doubled.