Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Faisal Mekdad, concluded his visit to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, after engaging in a series of political activities, including his participation in the ministerial meeting of Arab countries and the Pacific Islands, as well as his meeting with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan.
Mekdad, who left Damascus and returned on a private Saudi royal plane, revealed in statements to the Saudi newspaper “Al-Sharq Al-Awsat” Damascus’s readiness to cooperate with Riyadh in all fields and its efforts to elevate the bilateral relations to an integrated stage. He stated, “We are seeking ambassadors in both countries because we need to secure good ambassadors who can ensure the growth of these relations, reaching the level of integration in Arab and foreign policies as a whole.”
Mekdad emphasized that Syria has taken hundreds of steps regarding what is required of it, while not receiving any reciprocal steps from the other parties. He called on those parties to demonstrate goodwill and to stop starving the Syrian people.
In response to a question about the outcomes of the recent Arab summit held in Jeddah and the policy of “step by step,” and the progress of the Syrian government’s efforts, Mekdad said, “The summit outcomes were good and precise. Regarding Syria, I confirm that we have taken hundreds of steps, while we have not received any steps from the other parties in return.”
Mekdad’s statements came after Saudi Arabia and Syria agreed to reopen the path of economic cooperation and resume activities, commercial events, and investment between the two sides. This occurred during a meeting between the Chairman of the Saudi Chambers Union, Hassan bin Mujib Al-Huwaisi, and the President of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce, Mohammed Abu Al-Huda Al-Laham, and their accompanying delegation, on the sidelines of their participation in the Arab-Chinese Business Conference two days ago.
Both sides stressed the importance of exchanging visits by trade delegations and enabling investors to access the available investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia and Syria, as well as organizing economic forums to further advance economic cooperation between the two countries.
In a statement to “Al-Watan,” the President of the Rural Damascus Chamber of Commerce, Osama Mustafa, stated that the meeting was exceptional, during which members of the Saudi Chambers Union expressed their love for Syria and their desire to visit, invest, and spend holidays there. He pointed out that the indicators suggest promising prospects for the future.
He confirmed that during the meeting, they agreed to enhance relations and visits between the two sides. He also mentioned that the Saudi Chambers Union promised to visit Damascus soon after we extended an invitation to them.
He further explained that they sensed the Saudi side’s interest in activating and strengthening relations with Syria, and they assured that they would visit Syria soon to explore the available investment opportunities and make future investments in various fields. On our part, we clarified to them that we have a new investment law in Syria that includes facilitations for all Arab investors interested in investing, whether in reconstruction projects or alternative energy projects and other various projects.
