Syria, Turkey economic ties increasingly strategic

Syria and Turkey are now planning to establish a general company for oil exploration in Syria as well Turkey that would invest in the cultural sector of northeast Syria, Deputy Premier for Economic Affaires announced in Ankara on Thursday.

Abdullah al-Dardri told SANA in Turkey "the two countries are now studying a memo of understanding to establish a mutual company between the Syrian Company for Petroleum and the Turkish company for oil to explore as well invest oil in Syria."

He added after a series of meetings with senior economic and political Turkish officials, that they also discussing the role of Turkish companies in the agricultural investment in the northeastern region in Syria that is considered a significant importance for Syria in the upcoming time.

Dardari noted to a near connection between Syria and Turkey in field of natural gas in addition to the current network of electricity they have already associated with.

Talking about his visit to Turkey which started on Wednesday, Dardari pointed out that "it constitutes an additional juncture in ties crowned by presidential visits from the two sides as well premiers in the two countries."

"I am here with a delegation of official and businessmen to translate this political momentum into a tangible fact ,and what has been done till now constitutes a new phase in the economic relations between the two countries," the Deputy Premier said.

Talking about the EU approval to start negotiations with Turkey on enlargement and this move's impact on ties with Syria, Dardari noted that the two countries realized that they "have a joint destiny to pose a common space linking the European Union to the Arab free trade zone."

"Turkey's move towards membership in the EU and Syria's awareness that her economy is apt to the European economy via the Syrian-European partnership is unifying them in several ways," the senior economic official clarified.

He noted that the reception of the Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc to the Syria delegation and his announcement of ratifying the accord of free trade between the two countries as well other agreements in the coming months constituted "a very obvious signal at the highest levels in Turkey that this strategic economic cooperation as well the two countries being economic partners is irreversible therefore all means of success must be used to fulfill that."

Bulent Arinc said in a statement, after receiving Daradari and the accompanying delegation the Turkish Parliament, that the free trade agreement inked with Syria would be ratified in the three coming months.

Turkish Deputy Premier for Economic Affaires Abdullatif Sener told SANA that his talks with Dardari were "very fruitful." "The level of ties between the two countries is very high and I am content that these relations are developing everyday," he said.

He expressed conviction that Syria and Turkey would make good progress when their official ties are linked with consolidated relations between businessmen and investors to the two sides.

The Syria high ranking economic delegation had held talks with Turkey's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Mehmet Hilmi Gular.

Dardari who is currently on a visit to Turkey, visited today the stock exchange market in Istanbul and inspected the mechanism of work at it.

During his meeting with Turkish-Syrian Businessmen Council Executive Committee, Dardari called on the Turkish businessmen to seize the opportunity to invest in Syria, by benefiting from the favorability that will be given to them, underlining the necessity for launching joint ventures with the Turkish companies.

He reviewed the economic and financial reform in Syria and called for establishing real partnership between the two countries.