Trade Minister Ömer Bolat highlighted on Wednesday the importance of forming partnerships among neighbors as he, accompanied by a business delegation, traveled to Syria, where he held talks with top officials.
Bolat arrived in Damascus with a business delegation on Wednesday for the 63rd Damascus International Fair. He also met with Nidal al-Shaar, the Syrian economy and industry minister, to discuss steps to reach a $10 billion bilateral trade volume target.
"People first do business with their neighbors, form partnerships with their neighbors, and provide companionship on the journey (to neighbors)," Bolat said in remarks during the delegations' meeting in Damascus.
"We will inaugurate the Turkish pavilion. There is very close integration between the Syrian and Turkish economies," he said.
"After the Dec. 8 revolution succeeded and a new Syria was established, we have been working in very close coordination with the Syrian government and ministries. Turkish and Syrian investors, industrialists, SMEs, traders and exporters have been working in very close cooperation," he noted.
The officials evaluated cooperation to ease trade, particularly regarding transportation and customs gates, alongside the potential role of the Turkish private sector in the reconstruction of Syria, Bolat separately said on social media.
"On the occasion of the 63rd Damascus International Fair, we arrived in the ancient city of Damascus today with a strong business delegation. In the first part of our visit, we held a meeting with my esteemed friend, Syrian Minister of Economy and Industry, Mr. Nidal al-Shaar," he wrote.
"In our meeting, we discussed the steps to elevate our bilateral trade volume to the $10 billion target set by our presidents, our cooperation aimed at facilitating trade – particularly through transportation and border gates – and the role that the Turkish private sector can play in Syria’s reconstruction process," he added.
The ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the agreements reached during the Türkiye-Syria Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETCO) meeting in April, according to Bolat.
The minister later also met with Ahmad Rawad Ramadan, the newly appointed head of the Syrian Investment Agency, to discuss the investment interests of Turkish firms, he said in a statement on X.
The two sides evaluated steps to create a predictable investment environment and planned organized industrial zone investments in the Syrian regions of Kamune and Saraqib.
Bolat emphasized that Ramadan's deep understanding of the Turkish business world will accelerate investment relations between Türkiye and Syria.
Turkish businesspeople attending the meeting also shared their expectations and long-term investment plans to boost production and employment in the region.
"We will continue to further strengthen the economic and trade ties between Türkiye and Syria on the basis of mutual benefit," the minister said.