TEHRAN – Iran and Syria’s first joint trade committee meeting was held in Damascus on Wednesday, during which the two sides stressed their willingness for further expansion of economic ties.

According to the portal of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA), the event was attended by senior officials from both sides including Iranian Transport Minister Mohammad Eslami, The Chairman of Iran-Syria Joint Economic Committee Keyvan Kashefi, and Hassan Danaeifar, the advisor to Iran’s first vice president and also the chairman of the Iranian committee on development of economic relations with Syria and Iraq.

As reported, Eslami visited Syria on top of a high-ranking delegation to attend the event and also to discuss expansion of ties with Syrian officials.

In his speech in the meeting, the minister called for Iranian private sector’s active participation in reconstruction of the war-stricken Syria, saying that “of course the presence of the Iranian delegation in this meeting is in itself an indication of Iranian private sector’s determination for strong contribution to reconstruction of Syria.”

Referring to the presence of more than 60 Iranian companies in Syria’s international exhibitions, he expressed hope that businessmen and business owners would get to know each other better in these exhibitions and that they would be able to exchange information.

Eslami further expressed optimism that the business owners of the two countries would be able to sign trade and economic agreements with each other in order to accelerate Syria’s reconstruction and trade exchanges.

“The governments of Iran and Syria are committed to removing barriers [in the way of trade] and facilitating the two countries’ economic cooperation program, and we have taken good steps in this regard,” he said.

Later on Thursday, the Iranian delegation met with Prime Minister of Syria Imad Khamis, during which the two sides discussed various issues including expansion of economic cooperation and removing obstacles in the way of implementing agreements signed between the two countries, the role of chambers of commerce in boosting the trade relations and the participation of Iranian companies in the reconstruction of Syria.

Back in May, Iranian and Syrian officials, entrepreneurs and businessmen held their sixth business forum in the past six months. 

A Syrian trade delegation headed by the Chairman of Chamber of Industry of Damascus and its Countryside Samer al-Debes, Keyvan Kashefi, Hassan Danaiefar, and the Syrian Ambassador to Tehran Adnan Mahmoud as well as representatives of Iranian private companies attended the event which was hosted by Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) in Tehran.

During the gathering, several senior officials delivered speeches and afterwards the two sides’ companies held B2B meetings to get to know each other and acquire information on their potentials and capacities.

EF/MA