Iran, Syria follow up on bilateral agreements

As the heads of the Iran-Syria Joint Economic Commission, the two sides expressed satisfaction over progress in joint agendas and projects since the last visit which Mohammad Samer al-Khalil described as a turning point in economic and trade ties and a sign of determination in promoting bilateral cooperation.

Heading a high-ranking Iranian delegation, Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi visited Damascus earlier this year on May 3-4, 2023 for the first state visit by an Iranian president to Syria since 2011.

During his two-day visit to Damascus, President Raeisi held a meeting with the President of Syria and signed the comprehensive program of strategic and long-term cooperation between Iran and Syria as well as 14 cooperation documents in the fields of commercial cooperation, oil and energy, technical and engineering, housing, transportation. and rail and air transportation, free economic zones and private sector, communications and technology, earthquake relief and humanitarian assistance, and facilitation of pilgrimage travels by the senior officials of the two countries.

Some agendas have been realized since May including the removal of trade tariffs, an increase of flights for 50,000 passengers per year, and the maintenance of Syrian aircraft by Iran.

Other agendas are underway including Tehran-Iraq-Syria Railway as an alternative to the land route for transit, repair and maintenance of existing rail routes, rail fleet provision, construction of a railway route from Iraq to Syria, a trilateral agreement between Iran, Iraq, and Syria for truck transit in the form of a consortium, electricity, water provision, free trade agreement, custom and industrial cooperation, banking, insurance as well as greater air and sea port cooperation.  

Previously, heads of the Iran and Syria Joint Economic Commission met in Damascus on April 26, 2023, prior to the upcoming visit of the two countries' Presidents for finalizing mutual agreements.  Then, there were intensive meetings including eight bilateral committees that have been held in different fields of cooperation in order to discuss agendas and finalize the MoUs. 

MNA/PR