Türkiye and Syria will make “rapid progress” on funding, banking collaboration, transportation hyperlinks and customs within the interval forward, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat stated on Friday, reaffirming Ankara’s help to assist the war-torn nation’s revival.
Bolat’s remarks got here as he wrapped up a two-day journey to Damascus, which marked essentially the most high-profile go to by a Turkish financial official to Syria because the ouster of longtime regime dictator Bashar Assad.
He was accompanied by a big delegation of Turkish business leaders, in addition to the heads of chambers and commerce associations.
Syria is reeling from practically 14 years of civil battle that decimated its infrastructure and economic system, and severed it from the worldwide monetary system.
Opposition forces overthrew Assad after a lightning offensive in late December, which Bolat described as a revolution that restored freedom to the Syrian individuals.
Since then, officers have repeatedly voiced Türkiye’s help and readiness to assist rebuild the neighboring nation. Transport and manufacturing corporations eye huge growth plans for Syria in what some anticipate might be a tripling of commerce.
“As a nation, government, and people, Türkiye has consistently stood by the Syrian people’s quest for freedom,” Bolat advised reporters, stressing that the newly established management in Syria is in search of to protect nationwide unity, and revive the war-torn economic system.
He mirrored on Türkiye’s position in the course of the civil battle, noting the numerous inflow of refugees. “Türkiye provided shelter and support for Syrians escaping violence, fulfilling its role as a gracious host,” he added.
Stability, commerce, connectivity
Now, Syria faces a larger problem – rebuilding its nation and economic system.
“Over the past 14 years, Syria’s national income has halved, and its trade has dropped to roughly one-fifth, but they have started to enter a very rapid recovery process,” stated Bolat.
“As the Turkish government, we are striving to assist the new administration in Syria with the support they request from us because the stability, strengthening, and unity of Syria mean stability, strength, eliminating the terrorism problem, largely solving the migration issue, comfortably accessing the Gulf and the Middle East directly by land and increasing mutual trade for Türkiye,” he defined.
During the go to, Bolat held talks with Syrian ministers of economic system, transportation and finance.
“Representatives from the non-public sector additionally participated in these conferences, voiced their expectations, and sought solutions to the questions on their minds. We had very productive and fulfilling talks,” he stated.
He additionally met with Qutaiba Ahmad Badawi, director-general of the Land and Sea Ports of Syria, with whom he stated he mentioned customs duties, restarting transit crossings, and facilitating transportation.
Bolat stated Syrian authorities officers additionally expressed their willingness to cooperate with Türkiye in each discipline, be it growing commerce, joint investments, enhancing infrastructure, or areas starting from power and transportation to land, sea and railways.
They conveyed their expectations for Türkiye’s steerage and help, he added.
Last yr, Türkiye’s exports to Syria stood at $2.2 billion, whereas its imports have been $437 million, official information confirmed.
In late January, Turkish and Syrian authorities agreed to start out talks to revive a free commerce settlement suspended in 2011, when the civil battle started. And nationwide flag provider Turkish Airlines (THY) is one in all a handful of carriers to have resumed flights to Damascus after a 13-year suspension.
New financial partnership
Bolat introduced plans for a complete financial partnership settlement with Syria, overlaying the gradual discount of tariffs, encouragement of joint investments, and reconstruction of broken industrial zones.
Other priorities embrace restoring transportation networks throughout air, sea, rail, and highway sectors, and addressing Syria’s power deficiencies.
“We conveyed that we want to negotiate a comprehensive economic partnership agreement with Syria and are ready for such negotiations. We addressed topics like gradually reducing customs duties between the two countries, promoting joint investments, ensuring that development is led by the private sector, rehabilitating damaged industrial zones in Syria, identifying areas needing repair and restoration in transportation infrastructure, and initiating new projects,” stated Bolat.
“We also discussed re-establishing transportation networks, be it by air, sea, rail, or road, between Türkiye and Syria, addressing Syria’s energy needs, and the potential cooperation between the two countries on these issues.”
Bolat highlighted a mutual settlement to renegotiate the funding promotion and safety settlement and the prevention of double taxation settlement.
“Türkiye and Syria will grow their economies further in line with the interests of their people, as two friendly neighboring countries, merging their economic strengths and achieving regional economic integration together,” stated the minister.
Bolat stated financial, funding and commerce cooperation would improve quickly any more, however highlighted that sure agreements have to be made and renewed “as soon as possible” to facilitate collaboration.
“We will make rapid progress on topics such as the promotion and protection of investments, prevention of double taxation, banking cooperation, opening Turkish banks in Syria, initiating Ro-Ro services, eliminating delays at customs, and enabling transportation agreements to start mutual operations between Turkish and Syrian transportation companies,” he famous.
Bolat additionally underlined the significance of diaspora Syrians returning to spend money on their homeland and the necessity for Gulf and Islamic international locations to contribute to Syria’s reconstruction.
“The negative effects of the 14-year-long civil war have impacted all of us. A stable Syria will also serve as a guarantee for a strong and stable Türkiye,” he famous.
Source: www.dailysabah.com