Syria Is Bracing For Broader Economic Cooperation With Algeria

The Syrian Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade, Mohammed Samer Al-Khalil, issued a decision to form the “Syrian-Algerian Business Council,” and Khaled Al-Zubaidi, a member of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Syrian Tourism Chambers, was appointed as Chairman of the Council on the Syrian side, and Vice Chairman of the Chamber of Industry of Aleppo,” Mustafa Kawaih, Vice-President of the Council.

On Sunday, the Syrian government explained that the decision aims to activate the role of the private sector in “developing economic cooperation between the two brotherly countries” in all its commercial, industrial, agricultural and tourism fields.

The Syrian ambassador to Algeria, Namir Wahib Al-Ghanim, said last February that contacts were made with the authorities concerned to reactivate the “Joint Syrian-Algerian Businessmen Council” and restructure it, after the Algerian side suggested the necessity of reactivating the council, considering that the private sector is necessary to restore the council under Western sanctions imposed on the regime.

At the time, Al-Ghanim pointed to the need to reactivate the bilateral economic agreements signed between the two countries, after the Algerian Minister of Trade expressed his country’s desire to reactivate economic and trade relations, to see Algerian goods in the Syrian markets, and Syrian goods in the Algerian markets.

Observers believe that the Syrian government would like to establish this council to confirm that things have begun to return to their previous era, and that it has the ability to support Syrian exports, and that the return of trade relations between Algeria and Syria may encourage other countries, such as Tunisia, Egypt and many countries that do not wish to normalize direct political relations.

The Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, praised Algeria, where the planned Arab summit meetings will be held, saying in an interview with “Russia Today” channel, on June 9, that “the only weight for this summit is that it is held in Algeria, this is a fact and I am not complimenting, because Syria’s relationship with Algeria under all circumstances since independence from France until today is a stable relationship”, as he put it.