Spanish prime minister meets with Syrian, Spanish businessmen
Syria-Spain, Economics, 7/20/1999

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar on Monday in Damascus met with several businessmen and trade and economic activists in Syria and Spain.

Syrian Prime Minister Mahmoud al-Zou'bi and several Syrian ministers attended the meeting.

The Syrian prime minister said that Aznar's visit to Damascus falls in the course of the mutual desire shared between the two countries to develop cooperation between Syria and Spain. He continued: "We have conducted on Sunday very successful talks in a friendly atmospheres," expressing hope that relations between the two countries will witness tangible progress in various areas in the coming years.

The Syrian prime minister added that it was agreed to set up a joint ministerial committee between the two countries. It will meet alternately in each country with the participation of businessmen representing the two sides. The committee, he continued, aims at deepening technical, scientific, economic and trade cooperation and encouraging and protecting investments.

He added that an executive program for the cultural agreement will be shortly signed. It will work to increase the number of exchange students.

He said a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the two countries was signed on Monday.

Al-Zou'bi said there is successful cooperation between Syria and Spain, especially in the areas of agriculture and irrigation and benefiting from Spanish expertise in these areas.

For his part, Aznar hoped several agreements would be concluded between the two countries to create a new framework for cooperation, increase trade exchange and facilitate investment operations. "Elements of investment atmosphere, security and productivity are available in Syria," the Spanish Premier said.

Earlier in the day at Tishreen Palace in Damascus, Aznar and al-Zou'bi signed a statement that included an agreement to hold meetings before the end of the current year in order to follow up on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding as well as for the visit of Syrian Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade Muhammad al-Imadi to Spain on top of a delegation of economic figures to prepare and sign necessary legal formulas to develop trade and economic relations between the two countries, encouraging and guaranteeing investments.

Later in the day Aznar and members of his accompanying delegation left Damascus for Amman following a two day visit to the country. It is worth mentioning that the volume of trade exchange balance between Syria and Spain has reached US $250 million.

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