The 60th Damascus International Fair opened in the Syrian capital on Thursday after a five-year hiatus with the presence of 54 Iranian companies, Iran’s ambassador to Syria said.
Javad Torkabadi emphasized that the exhibition is a great opportunity for Iranian companies to showcase their capabilities and strengthen bilateral ties with their Syrian counterparts, IRNA reported.
More than 1,700 domestic and foreign companies from 48 countries are participating in the exhibition.
“As Syria has won its war on terror, it will also win in the battle of reconstruction,” Syria’s Prime Minister Emad Khamis was quoted as saying during the event’s opening ceremony.
The expo will run until Sept. 15.
Torkabad noted that the fair constitutes one of the most important windows through which the Syrian government intends to communicate with friendly countries for introducing “major investment opportunities” in Syria.
An Iranian economic delegation headed by Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development Amir Amini visited the Syrian capital Damascus last month.
The two sides touched upon the issues of reconstruction of Syria’s infrastructures battered by years of war on terrorists as well as cooperation in the fields of customs, banking, industry, information technology, creation of SMEs and energy.
Upon the delegation’s arrival, Assistant Economy Minister for Economic Development and International Relations Rania al-Ahmad said investors and industrialists from Iran intend to play an important role in the reconstruction of Syria, expressing hope that negotiations would lead to Iran’s effective presence in the process of Syria’s redevelopment, Mehr News Agency reported.
The three-day visit came after Syrian Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade Mohammad Samer al-Khalil in June discussed prospects of bilateral economic cooperation with a host of top Iranian officials in Tehran.
“Iran will be a main partner in the reconstruction process,” Al-Khalil said in the Iranian capital.
“The current stage is decisive for Syria and Iran, and we are on the threshold of rebuilding Syria and take advantage of the expertise of Iranian companies in this domain.”
Earlier in May, Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi paid a visit to Damascus and signed a memorandum of understanding for promoting economic cooperation.
