Syria-EU Partnership Association initials signed in Brussels
Syria-European Union, Politics, 10/20/2004

Syria and the EU yesterday evening in Brussels signed the initials of the Partnership Association.

Head of the Syrian Negotiating delegation Abdullah al-Dardari and Deputy Chairman of the EU Commission Christian Leffler signed the Agreement in the presence of Foreign Minister Farouk al-Shara and Chairman of the EU Commission Chris Paten.

In a statement, Dardari described the agreement signing as decisive, saying the partnership with Europe "is a wide gate for reform in Syria." Dardari indicated that partnership negotiations started in 1996 in an explorative negotiations and concluded by both sides' approval on all issues including the item connected with the weapons of mass destruction.

Informed sources said that the item connected with WMD provided for allowing Syria to import the necessary advanced technologies for the development process in Syria after establishing a national monitoring system. This would be in addition to the agreement condition which says all sides in the Mediterranean countries are committed to the UN resolution in this regard. Dardari predicted the agreement needed three months to be signed by the European Foreign Ministers' Council. Then it will be applicable following the final signatory by the Foreign Minister of the State chairing the European Union and Syria.

In Syria, the accord will be legally endorsed by a decree or a law, then the European side will be informed. The EU waits for 60 days to start the execution of the trade, technical and economic aspects, while the implementation of the political issues need endorsement of the European Parliaments.

For his part, Deputy Economy Minister Aref Haj Youssef expected that prices would be decreased with the beginning of implementing the agreement by 5 to 10% in Syria.

In the same context, Deputy Economy Minister Ghassan Habash said Syria hoped the agreement would widely attract investments due to the appropriate atmosphere and the chance of getting low-priced products. For his part, Director General of Customs, Basel Sannoufa, announced that lessening customs tariffs would begin after the final endorsement of the agreement and continue for 12 years until it would be completely eliminated.

Meantime, Al-Baath newspaper on Tuesday said the Syria- EU partnership is not a gift or supplication from the Europeans to Syria but rather it ought to constitute a genuine partnership the Syrian economy and other economies are expecting a lot from it.

" Syria wants the partnership to push her economy forward and realizes the preparations that has been made and the requirements package as well as the demanded steps which pose as a main booster to the economic reform program and its timetable," the daily said in front page article.

The paper noted that reaching to the accord with the EU again after a year- delay and solving pending issues would point at the significance of the constructive dialogue and our aspiration to the joint cooperation future between Europe as a main international power and Syria as one of the pivotal countries in the region.

Previous Stories:
  Syria, EU to sign Association Agreement October 19   (10/9/2004)
  Last impediments before the Syria- EU association agreement removed   (9/22/2004)
  Final touches on the Syrian- EU Association Agreement   (9/17/2004)

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