Egypt, Syria sign nine cooperation agreement

The Egyptian -Syrian Higher committee, at the close of its meetings in Cairo yesterday, signed nine cooperation agreements in the fields of economy, trade, investment, civil aviation housing contracting, electricity, social affairs and environment.

The agreements include one on cooperation in the field of environment preservation, signed by Minister of State for Environment Affairs Mamdouh Riad and his Syrian opposite number Adnan khozam.

They also include a memo of understanding in the field of civil aviation training, signed by Minister of Transport Ibrahim Al-Demeiri and his Syrian counterpart Makram Obeid.

The agreements further stipulate cooperation in the fields of housing, international fairs and exhibitions.

The final session of the higher committee probed means of encouraging investments, stimulating the private sector to work seriously to set up new productive and service companies in both countries as well as establishing a free trade zone.

Ebeid, in a speech at the outset of the final session, said that clear-cut rules were reached to launch cooperation in the fields of modernizing trade, integrating industrial production and the networks to carry power and natural gas, activating tourism between both countries and upgrading the information industry.

"what has been achieved in the past couple of days will boost cooperation between Egypt and Syria and will add to the already distinguished bilateral relations," said Ebeid.