Damascus, Sept. 27 (SANA) The recent official visit of a high-level Syrian economic delegation to Azerbaijan, led by Minister of Economy and Industry Nidal al-Shaar, reflects Damascus’s strategic drive to broaden its global economic ties, enter promising export markets, and cultivate high-value investment partnerships across the region.
The mission centered on unlocking new commercial opportunities, strengthening direct communication channels between the private sectors of both nations, and establishing joint investment projects. The efforts culminated in the formal creation of the Syrian-Azerbaijani Business Council—an institutional framework designed to drive bilateral economic integration, coordinate commercial policy, and oversee joint ventures in the coming period.
Expanding horizons of partnership
Speaking to SANA on Sunday, economic advisor Osama al-Qadi stated that economic collaboration with Azerbaijan presents Syria with a major opportunity to expand its bilateral partnerships and secure new market destinations for national exports, particularly amidst the steadily accelerating economic ties between Damascus and Baku.
Al-Qadi pointed out that energy cooperation remains one of the most vital pillars of this partnership, underpinned by the ongoing delivery of Azerbaijani natural gas to Syria. He stressed that this landmark energy arrangement provides a solid foundation for expanding joint technical operations, including the rehabilitation and modernizing of gas pipelines, power distribution networks, and the specialized technical training of Syrian personnel in natural gas infrastructure management.
Furthermore, al-Qadi highlighted potential cross-sectoral growth in construction, heavy manufacturing, agriculture, and agro-industrial processing, noting that the Azerbaijani consumer market offers immense long-term potential for high-quality Syrian products.
Elevating the presence of Syrian goods
Al-Qadi emphasized that the newly established Syrian-Azerbaijani Business Council will play a pivotal operational role in transforming high-level agreements into actionable trade deliverables. By fostering closer linkages between the chambers of commerce and industry in both countries, the council will facilitate trade delegations, organize joint commercial expos, and lay the groundwork for a dedicated trade exhibition for Syrian products in Baku. This initiative aims to directly introduce Caucasian consumers to Syrian goods and establish a permanent commercial foothold across the broader Caucasus region.
He added that high-value Syrian products—including premium olive oil, Aleppo pistachios, specialty food items, and processed agricultural commodities—possess strong export potential, provided local producers enhance quality assurance systems, standardize technical specifications, and supply comprehensive product documentation to meet competitive international standards.
Transitioning to actionable economic steps
For his part, economic analyst Zakwan Kurreit affirmed that Syria’s participation in the 2nd Azerbaijan International Investment Forum in Baku holds profound strategic value, marking a crucial shift from diplomatic dialogue to actionable, structured economic cooperation built on measurable milestones.
Kurreit identified several priority sectors that serve as practical launchpads for immediate economic expansion:
- Power and Infrastructure Rehabilitation: Direct technical collaboration in operating power generation plants, maintaining electrical grid networks, upgrading national infrastructure, and launching joint renewable energy projects.
- Agri-Food Trade and Processing: Enhancing bilateral agricultural trade while developing specialized cold storage, industrial packaging, resilient supply chain logistics, and rigorous food safety protocols.
- Industrial and Manufactured Goods: Facilitating the cross-border supply of pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, textiles, and construction materials, alongside joint capital investments to rebuild Syria’s domestic manufacturing and processing plants.
- Logistics and Freight Management: Modernizing transit pathways, optimizing customs clearance and warehousing, developing regional trade corridors, and significantly reducing border transit tariffs and transport delays.
- Vocational Training and Digital Exchange: Advancing technical training programs, specialized technical services, cultural tourism initiatives, and direct corporate digital collaboration.
Kurreit underscored that the Joint Syrian-Azerbaijani Business Council must function as an executive implementation and monitoring mechanism rather than a mere consultative body. He recommended establishing specialized sector-specific working groups, outlining a clear shortlist of targeted projects, designating responsible corporate partners, and setting firm implementation timelines and key performance indicators (KPIs). He advised launching low-risk, immediate projects—such as supply, packaging, distribution, and maintenance contracts—to test market dynamics before scaling up to large-scale capital investments.
Promoting Syrian exports in the Azerbaijani market
Addressing market penetration strategies, Kurreit explained that successfully promoting Syrian goods in Azerbaijan requires identifying commodities that hold distinct competitive advantages in price, quality, or cultural heritage, followed by testing local consumer demand through established Azerbaijani importers and distributors. He recommended prioritizing immediate export readiness for olive oil, processed foodstuffs, traditional sweets, laurel soap, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and light industrial goods.
To maximize market access and ensure sustainable commercial viability in Azerbaijan, Kurreit outlined a comprehensive roadmap of essential practical steps:
- Comprehensive Market Analysis: Conducting thorough market research covering local demand trends, market competition, price points, tariff structures, import regulations, and technical compliance standards.
- Export Readiness and Standardization: Assisting domestic firms in upgrading product quality, modernizing packaging design, acquiring international quality certifications, and providing multilingual product labeling and marketing materials.
- Sustained Promotional Programs: Launching continuous promotional campaigns, participating in international trade fairs, facilitating B2B networking events, and directly connecting Syrian exporters with local wholesale platforms and distributors.
- Trade and Customs Facilitation: Streamlining customs documentation, optimizing cross-border transport logistics, reducing transit delays, and lowering freight overhead costs.
- Risk Mitigation and Financial Infrastructure: Mitigating commercial risks by clarifying tax liabilities, licensing requirements, and legal contracts, while establishing reliable banking, payment, and trade insurance mechanisms between both financial systems.
This strategic economic expansion builds upon the positive trajectory of Syrian-Azerbaijani bilateral relations, which experienced a major diplomatic breakthrough following the reopening of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Damascus in February 2025 after a 13-year hiatus. Bilateral economic ties reached a milestone in August 2025 with the commencement of Azerbaijani natural gas supplies to Syria via Turkish transit infrastructure, setting the precedent for the comprehensive trade and investment frameworks currently taking shape.
Kh.A / Mzn
