PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA: ARMENIAN-SYRIAN POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION SHOULD BE EQUALIZED
ArmInfo
2009-06-18 11:45:00
ArmInfo.’Armenia and Syria are building warm and dynamically
developing relations of new quality in the current political and
economic conditions.
Due to this, the political and economic cooperation should be
equalized. It is not just a desire but a goal given the fact that
Armenian businessmen have rather serious positions in the Syrian
business circles’, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said at the
opening of the Armenian-Syrian Business Forum in Yerevan on Thursday.
Welcoming the participants in the Business Forum and wishing them
fruitful work, President Sargsyan said friendship of the Armenian and
Syrian peoples has strong basis. Serzh Sargsyan said that his meeting
with Syrian President Bashar Al- Assad was focused on development of
the trade and economic relations of the two states. ‘I have to say
that, unfortunately, the current level and trade and economic relations
fully contradicts the level of political relations established in
conditions of friendship of our peoples’, the president said. By
combined efforts of the two countries’ governments, rather favorable
contractual field has been created for development of the trade and
economic cooperation. Serzh Sargsyan said that during the current visit
of Syrian President to Yerevan an agreement was signed to promote
and protect investments, which is another step to enhance the trade
and economic relations. President Sargsyan called the Business Forum
a good opportunity for the two states to get first hand view of the
achievements of Armenia and Syria in the trade and economic sphere
and to establish business ties. ‘I am sure we have big potential in
the scientific and technical, agricultural, power, town planning,
tourist, trade, financial and banking sectors and our task is to
consolidate it’, the president said. In this context, the president
highlighted the role of our compatriots in Syria. ‘I’d like to ask
our compatriots in Syria to use their possibilities and business ties
to help us revealing the trade and economic potential and presenting
the production of the two states’, Serzh Sargsyan said. He assured
those present that any initiative, any project aimed to enhance the
Armenian-Syrian economic ties will enjoy government support.
Nearly 200 businessmen are participating in the Business Forum
including 65 Syrian businessmen, mainly Armenians by origin
representing various sectors of economy. The remaining participants
are local businessmen.
The Armenian community in Syria is nearly 120,000 people. The commodity
turnover of Armenia and Syria for 2008 totaled $5.99 million, the
unfavorable balance of trade made up $5.81 million. The share of
import of Syrian goods to Armenia was $5.9 million, whereas export
from Armenia to Syrian totaled $90,000. Armenia exports honey,
carbide, paint materials and other products to Syrian and imports
shoes, medicine, citrus fruits, vegetables, nuts, washing substances,
jewelry and other products from that country.