Tehran, Damascus eye further reinforcement of economic ties
Iran and Syria have targeted more economic cooperation, as they signed numerous agreements during the visit of Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi to Damascus.
Raeisi described his two-day visit to Syria as a turning point in promoting economic, political and security relations.
Iran and Syria enjoy ample potentials and grounds for cooperation to improve economic ties, he said, adding he mainly discussed financial and trade issues during meetings with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad.
Cooperating in the field of power generation and transmission, setting up a joint bank and an insurance company, reducing trade tariffs between the two countries, expanding transit facilities between Iran, Iraq, and Syria, as well as reviving Syria’s agricultural, industrial and energy sectors were among the primary issues included in the 14 cooperation documents signed between the two sides, Raeisi said at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran early on Friday upon returning from Damascus.
A final communiqué issued at the end of Raeisi’s two-day official visit to Syria, which started on Wednesday, and was the first by an Iranian president to the Arab nation in over 13 years, stated that the two sides expressed satisfaction over joint cooperation in the fight against terrorism and extremism, and emphasized that they will continue working together until the total annihilation of all terrorist groups in Syria.
Raeisi and Assad also held in-depth talks on ways to further develop and strengthen cordial and strategic relations between Tehran and Damascus, and exchanged viewpoints on the latest regional and international developments.
The two presidents emphasized the importance of cementing mutual ties through continuation of political, economic and consular interactions, as well as exchange of high-ranking delegations between the two countries.
The two sides also expressed readiness and willingness to take appropriate measures aimed at further promotion of bilateral commercial and economic relations through existing mechanisms such as the Joint High Commission for Economic Cooperation. They stressed the potential areas of cooperation in Syria’s postwar era of reconstruction and development.
They underlined that sanctions adversely affect innocent people, calling for an immediate end to such inhumane measures.
Raeisi also stressed that the Islamic Republic will stand by Syria in the reconstruction of quake-devastated areas, and condemned the continuation of illegal and cruel Western sanctions against Syria.
Iran and Syria signed a memorandum of understanding to bolster cooperation in the field of communications and information technology (ICT).
Iranian Minister of ICT Issa Zarepour, who accompanied President Ebrahim Raeisi on his visit to Syria, inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with his Syrian counterpart.
The Iranian and Syrian ICT ministers also signed MoUs in the field of exporting technical and engineering services, active and passive telecommunications products, presenting services in the fields of pictorial platforms, transport, health and e-training.
Cooperating in the field of offering e-government services, renovating Syria’s communications infrastructures and cooperating in the field of space services were among the other cases that were discussed between Iranian and Syrian ICT ministers.
To implement the agreements, the two sides agreed to set up a joint specialized Working Group in ICT field at the latest in two months.