Syrian trade delegation to head shortly for Baghdad

News reports said that a Syrian trade and industrial delegation will shortly pay the first official visit to Iraq months after the closure of borders between the two states.

The visit is according to an invitation extended by an Iraqi delegation which has been visiting Syria since several days led by the governor of Ninawah, Ghanem Sultan al-Busso and including trade and industrial activists and members of the governorate's council.

The chairman of the Syrian chamber of industry Samer al-Debis said that the Iraqi delegation extended an invitation to the Syrians to visit Iraq and become acquainted closely with the conditions there in order to resume the already broken trade and economic links between the two sides following the American- British occupation of Iraq.

Al- Debis added that "setting a date for the visit is linked to restoring matters in Iraq despite the fact that the Iraqi delegation extended an invitation to that effect." The Syrian delegation will be composed of trade and industrial activists that will meet with their Iraqi counterparts to find out the possibility of cooperation between the two sides in various fields including trade, industry, tourism, transit and transport.

This step, however comes after Damascus and other Syrian cities in the north witnessed intensive Iraqi presence in the recent month, the last of which was the visit of the governor of Ninawah.