TEHRAN- Figures show that the 61st Damascus International Fair will witness wide-scale participation of Iranian firms, Mehr news agency reported.

Bahman Hosseinzadeh, the managing director of Iran International Exhibitions Company (IIEC), told SANA’s reporter in Tehran that holding the 61st edition of Damascus International Fair shows Syria’s recovery from the crisis, adding that Iran wants to increase its investments in Syria.

Hosseinzadeh said the fair is an ideal opportunity for improving trade exchange, and that Iranian companies are eager to participate in it, noting that a special company has been licensed to arrange Iranian participation in the fair.

Also, Mehdi Saeedozakerin, the CEO of Pars Rastak Company for organizing fairs and conferences, said that around 100 Iranian companies will be participating in the fair, which represents an important opportunity for them to showcase their products in the fields of infrastructure and technical and engineering services needed by the Syrian market.

Meanwhile, Mohammadreza Modoudi, the acting head of the Trade Promotion Organization (TPO), said this year will mark the biggest Iranian participation in the fair, with active participation by the state-run and private sectors and companies and more cooperation.

Set to be held from August 28 to September 6, Damascus International Fair in Syria is an international exhibition held in Damascus annually since 1954 and is one of the oldest, majestic and largest international exhibitions in the Middle East. The exhibition is attended by dozens of countries from different continents and hundreds of Syrian, Arab and international companies distributed over 45 different wings. 

Syrian Deputy Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade Rania al-Ahmad has said that attraction of Iran’s investment and also importing Iranian products is a priority for Syria in the process of reconstructing the country.

Making the remarks in a conference on investment and trade opportunities in Syria held at Tehran Permanent International Fairgrounds on Sunday, the Syrian official said, “Our government has prepared a post-war reconstruction plan in which all organizations, universities and experts play some parts”.

She invited Iranian traders and businessmen to make investment in Syria and said, “We are going for attracting Iran’s investment for reconstruction and we will provide the condition to make it possible.”

Addressing the same gathering, head of TPO said that Syria needs other countries’ cooperation for meeting some daily needs and also for its reconstruction and such condition offers an opportunity for long-term presence of Iranian investors in that country.

“Given the current positive condition for activity in the Syrian market, presence of Iranian traders and investors in that country and enjoying the available opportunities is of high significance”, Mohammadreza Modoudi noted, adding, “We will introduce the best projects for investment to the Iranian companies after investigating them”.