Iran and Syria are about to establish a joint economic committee in the coming weeks that will pave the way for a joint Chamber of Commerce between the two countries.
“Tehran and Damascus will launch a joint economic committee when first Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri will travel to Syria in the coming weeks,” said Keyvan Kashefi, head of the Joint Economic Committee between Iran and Syria at Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA). “This joint economic committee will be the basis of a future joint Chamber of Commerce between Iran and Syria,” he added.
Earlier, Hossein Ragheb al-Hossein, Vice Chairman of Syrian Parliament’s National Reconciliation Commission, announced that Iran and Syria will soon create their joint Chamber of Commerce. The announcement comes after a recent visit by Heshmatollah Falahat Pishe, head of the parliamentary commission on national security, to Syria.
“The joint economic committee between our country and Syria will help boost our exports to this country; It’s picking up,” Kashefi told Iran Chamber Newsroom.
Iranian exports to Syria stands at less than 175 million dollars, according to Hassan Danaifar, secretary of the committee to develop Iran’s economic relations with Iraq and Syria.
Kashefi, who’s recently come back from a visit to Syria, also said that the Iran Chamber of Commerce has finalized the purchase of an 11-storey building in Damascus Free Zone that will host the administrative staff in charge of coordinating bilateral trade.
He highlighted the difficulties in transiting Iranian exports to Syria which currently is carried out either by sea or road through Turkey. “It’s very expensive,” he warned. Kashefi had earlier said Iran is keen on transit its commodities through Iraq.
Iran has been trying to open the Iraq way but the fight against pockets of IS terrorists, who are still active on the border with Syria, continues. He says the route will be safe “soon”. “The Iraqis have promised to make the Bukamal area safe in the next coming months,” mentioned Kashefi, referring to the the border crossing between Iraq and Syria in the city of Abu Kamal where the war against the terrorist group keeps going on.
Also, Syrian Transport Minsiter Ali Hammoud said Damascus is keen on connecting the railways to Iraqi and Iranian railroad in a bid to bolster trilateral trade.
Tehran has set eyes on helping the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to reconstruct the war-torn country. It's estimated that it will cost some 400 billion dollars to rebuild the Arab country that's coming back to life after eight years of a deadly war, that's killed thousands and left millions of others displaced.
Earlier, Syrian Economy and Foreign Trade Minister, Mohammad Samer al-Khalil, invited the Iranian firms to take up contracts as Asad's government has prioritised theses companies over other countries.