Syria interested in joining Eurasian Customs Union, boosting investment cooperation with Armenia, minister says

Damascus, SANA – Economy and Foreign Trade Minister Humam al-Jazaeri expressed Syria’s desire to accede to the Eurasian Customs Union (ECU) given its importance in achieving joint benefit for all state members.

The Minister was speaking during a meeting on Tuesday with Armenian Ambassador in Damascus Arshak Poladian, whose country became an ECU member early this year.

Eurasian Customs Union came into existence on January 1, 2010 as the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia, only to be later expanded to include Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.

Al-Jazaeri noted that Syria’s accession to the Union would help open up promising markets for the Syrian products and establish investment networking with friendly countries.

Talks between the Minister and the Armenian Ambassador focused mainly on ways to further cement bilateral economic and trade cooperation relations, a step al-Jazaeri said should not be limited to only boosting the trade exchange between the two sides.

The development of cooperation, he added, should be expanded towards starting investment projects in Syria, with well-qualified expertise and workforce being employed.

The Minister recognized in this context the effective role of the Syrian-Armenian Business Council in this development, for whom al-Jazaeri pledged the Ministry’s all necessary support.

He called for establishing an intensive work plan at a governmental level for the coming period to strengthen communication and develop new means to upgrade bilateral relations between Syria and Armenia.

On his part, the Armenian Ambassador referred to a slower pace of progress in the Syrian-Armenian relations over the past period under the exceptional circumstances taking place in Syria.

Yet, Poladian said, many of Armenians in Syria have not left and are continuing work and production and now look positively at the improving circumstances.

Manar al-Frieh/Haifa Said

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