Turkey, Syria sign transport cooperation protocol

A cooperation protocol in the area of transport between Syria and Turkey was signed at the headquarters of the Ministry of Transport in Damascus.

The protocol was signed following a three-day meeting of the Syrian-Turkish joint committee by the railway director at the Syrian Transport Ministry, Salah Ahmad, and the Turkish deputy transport minister. The agreement states that the two sides agree to take necessary measures to start trips of passenger trains between Istanbul and Aleppo, noting that they would link up with the city of Damascus.

The Turkish side will make necessary studies to reopen the Nisbein (in Turkey) - Qamishli (Syria) line. The two sides agreed to coordinate between the Syrian and Turkish railways and affiliated companies.

In the area of air travel, the two sides agreed to reformulate air transport between the two countries in order to cope with modern developments in the domain of civil aviation. The two sides agreed to convene a technical meeting to update the agreementsigned in 1993 to coordinate air movements between the air traffic controllers centers in both Ankara and Damascus, to facilitate air traffic between the two countries.

In the field of sea transport, the two sides agreed on a sea transport agreement between the two countries. They exchanged two draft agreements on sea transport.

They also agreed to cooperate in the area of ship building and maintenance.

In the sphere of land transport, the Turkish and Syrian sides agreed that loaded convoys traveling from one country to another can make a "return load" journey, without prior licensing.

The two sides agreed to convene the committee's next meeting next year.