PRESIDENT OF SYRIA: CONSTRUCTION OF IRAN-ARMENIA RAILWAY WILL PROMOTE ARMENIAN-SYRIAN ECONOMIC RELATIONS

ArmInfo
2009-06-18 18:10:00

ArmInfo. Construction of Iran-Armenia railway will promote the
Armenian-Syrian economic relations, President of Syria Bashar Al-Assad
said at the opening of the Armenian-Syrian Business Forum in Yerevan
on Thursday.

He said the possibility of laying the railway between the Mediterranean
and the Persian Gulf is currently considered. Iran-Armenia railway
will make it possible for Armenia to access Syria via Iran, Iraq,
the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean, the Syrian president
said. Nevertheless, lack of overland communication between Armenia
and Syria hinders development of the trade and economic relations of
the two states. ‘This issue was discussed with Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan on Wednesday in the context of normalization of the
Armenian-Turkish relations since the resolution of this issue will help
not only Armenia and Syria but also Turkey. In addition, Armenia will
get the shortest way to the Arab world,’ the Syrian president said.

He said the parties should facilitate the procedures of signing
contracts and agreements and simplify the air communication between the
two states. A flight from Armenia to Syria takes 1 hour and 40 minutes
and it is a short way linking Armenia and the Arab world. However,
visa regime needs simplification to enhance also the tourist sector,
Bashar Al-Assad said.

He said that relying on friendly relations of their peoples Armenia
and Syria should boost commodity turnover. ‘It is necessary to exert
efforts to implement both long-term and short-term projects.

Long-term projects can be implemented also in the agricultural
sector in particular to settle irrigation problems’, the Syrian
president said. As regards the peculiarities of the tourist sector,
the president of Syria said that Armenia has many sights and if these
sights ‘are flavored with Aleppo cuisine the effect will be excellent’.

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.