TEHRAN -- The first meeting of Iran-Syria Industries and Mines Committee co-chaired by Iranian Minister of Industry Es'haq Jahangiri and his Syrian counterpart Issam al-Zaem was held here on Thursday.

At the meeting, Jahangiri referred to the willingness of the two countries to broaden ties in industrial and mining sectors.

The current visit of the Syrian delegation to Iran, he said, provides an opportunity for reviewing industrial policies. He expressed hope that the upcoming visit of Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa Miro to Tehran this week will have significant results for both countries.

Al-Zaem, for his part, referred to his recent tour of several Iranian petrochemical and manufacturing plants adding that implementation of such plans indicates the progress and advancement of the Islamic Republic in the industrial sector.

He further underlined the need for lifting barriers to promoting reciprocal relation in steel and cement production.

Touching upon impacts of globalization on his country's economy, Al-Zaem said that Syrian moves toward establishment of an Arab free trade zone would lead to the country's borders to be opened to 13 Arab countries in the next three years.

The Syrian delegation, during its stay in Iran, visited SAIPA Diesel and Pars Electronic companies as well as Imam Khomeini Petrochemical Complex.

Syrian minister of industries who is heading a high-level delegation of industrialists arrived in Tehran on Monday at the invitation of Jahangiri.

Earlier, Iran's Economic Attache to Syria Saeid Kouzechi told IRNA in Damascus that Al-Zaem's visit is aimed at preparing the grounds for the official visit of Mustafa Miro to Iran.

Meanwhile, Syria's Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Construction, Adham Vanli, too, visited Iran last week to provide partly for the upcoming trip of the high ranking Syrian delegation to Iran.

Vanli, during his five-day visit to Iran, held talks with Minister of Housing and Urban Development Ali Abdolalizadeh on cooperation with Iran in solving Syria's housing problem, and with Energy Minister Habibollah Bitaraf on methods of providing drinking water pipelines, drainage systems and irrigation techniques.

Al-Zaem had earlier told IRNA in Damascus that Iran is among the topmost priorities of Syria for technical and industrial consultations and cooperation. On probability of constructing a car manufacturing firm jointly with Iran in Syria, Al-Zaem said, "There have been offers on the issue by several friendly countries, including one by Iran and one by Egypt, that are currently being studied."