DAMASCUS, (SANA)- Activities of the 9th regular session of the Syrian-Iranian Follow-up Committee for Economic Cooperation inaugurated in Damascus on Tuesday co-chaired by Syrian Minister of Economy and Trade, Mohammed Nidal al-Sha'ar and Iranian Minister of Transportation and Urban Development, Ali Nikzad.

The two sides agreed on forming four committees to discuss means of enhancing economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.

Minister of Housing and Construction Eng. Hala al-Nasser discussed with Nikzad means of activating the Syrian-Iranian cooperation in housing sector.

Eng. Al-Nasser indicated to the importance of benefiting from the Iranian expertise, hoping that the two parties would reach a cooperation agreement.

Minister al-Nasser hoped that the Syrians will make use of the Iranian experience in housing sector as the Ministry plans to build 50,000 housing units.

For his part the Iranian Minister talked about the Iranian experience in this filed through building 2,800 million housing units for law-income people in different Iranian provinces which was the first of its kind in the world regarding high quality and implementation time period.

Nikzad said that his country is ready to support Syria in all fields and that they will cooperate with the Syrian Ministry of Housing and Construction to carry out the housing units to be announced at the beginning of 2011.

Talks between Minister of Transport Dr. Fayssal Abbas and Minister Nikzad focused on means of activating cooperation in the fields of land, air, sea and rail transport.

Minister Abbas said that we are confident as much as the Iranian side that Syria will overcome the crisis thanks to the cooperation between brothers and the awareness of the Syrian people despite some countries' efforts to siege Syria.

For his part, the Iranian Minister said that this visit aims at studying what has been agreed upon and exploring new prospects for cooperation on all levels.

In turn, Assistant Minister for Air Transport Affairs Mahmoud Zanbo'a said that the two sides agreed on holding a tripartite meeting (Syrian-Iranian- Iraqi) to discuss the issue of activating the land corridor linking the three countries and that this meeting should be proceeded by bilateral meetings between Syria and Iraq on one hand and Iran and Iraq on the other hand within no more than one month.

Regarding the free trade agreement between the two countries, he said that the two sides agreed on providing facilitations for trucks movement within a specified period of time that doesn't exceed two months.

In the field of rail transport, the Syrian and Iranian sides agreed on holding a tripartite meeting between Syrian, Iran and Iraq to follow up the implementation of this project, in addition to activating the existing railway between Syria and Iraq, from the Syrian ports till al-Basra in Iraq whose annual capacity amounted to 2 million tons.

Regarding air transport, a tripartite meeting is due to be held by the end of 2011 to discuss the possibility of increasing the number of flights between Iran -Shanghai and Damascus-Caracas.

In Customs, increasing the transit traffic of cars entering to Syria was discussed, with Syrian side currently studying steps to carry out a project on following up the trucks via satellite.

On the other hand, Tourism Minister Lamia Assi and Iranian Minister Nikzad reviewed the possibility of tourism cooperation, especially religious tourism.

Minister Assi underlined the Ministry's interest to upgrade tourism in Syria in light of the important tourist destinations in Syria.

The Ministry is ready to send technicians to Iran with the aim of studying the possibility of establishing joint tourist projects, said Assai, adding that the Ministry is providing all the necessary facilitations to the visitors and tourists.

For his part Nikzad highlighted the importance of improving religious tourism in Syria which will positively contribute to enhancing the Syrian economy in the face of foreign challenges.