Damascus, Jan. 14 (SANA) Head of the General Authority for Borders and Customs, Qutaiba Badawi, held talks with the Chargé d’Affaires of the French Embassy in Damascus, Jean-Baptiste Faivre, on ways to develop cooperation, technical support, and prospects for bilateral partnership between the two sides.
During a joint meeting held on Wednesday, the two sides discussed cooperation priorities, particularly in the fields of training and capacity-building, reforming laws and regulations, data analysis, and cooperation in combating organized crime and money laundering, in line with internationally recognized standards.
The discussions also addressed areas of cooperation in the ports sector and coast guard services, ways to enhance technical and operational coordination, and prospects for academic cooperation between the Customs Academy of the General Authority for Ports and Customs and its French counterpart, contributing to the exchange of expertise and the development of specialized competencies.
For his part, Faivre affirmed that France’s policy toward Syria is based on providing full support across various fields, stressing his country’s readiness to offer the necessary assistance to help develop institutional performance, build capacities, and strengthen technical and technological cooperation.
At the conclusion of the meeting, it was agreed that a delegation from French Customs would pay an official visit to the General Authority for Ports and Customs next month, with the aim of establishing executive frameworks for joint cooperation and translating the agreed-upon points into practical programs and action plans.
It is worth noting that the General Authority for Ports and Customs was established by Legislative Decree No. (244) of 2025. It enjoys legal personality as well as financial and administrative autonomy, is directly affiliated with the Presidency of the Republic, and is headquartered in Damascus city.
MHD
