Damascus \u2013 Syria intends to invest US$ 50 billion in infrastructure over the next five to ten years, and wants Brazilian companies to participate in the process. "We want you to have a significant participation," said the Syrian deputy prime minister of Economic Affairs, Abdullah Dardari, to the president of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce<\/b>, Salim Taufic Schahin, during a meeting in Damascus this Thursday (23rd).<\/p>\n
Dardari is at the head of the Syrian economic opening process. He stated that the country needs heavy investment in energy generation, roads, railways, ports, airports and sanitation.<\/p>\n
The deputy prime minister mentioned, for instance, the need for installation of 200 new water treatment stations, building 1,000 kilometres of roads, renovation of old ports and construction of new ones, expansion of the Damascus Airport, creation of four new industrial zones, in addition to the four existing ones, and of two computer industry-oriented technological parks.<\/p>\n
He suggested to Schahin, who was accompanied by the Brazilian ambassador to Damascus, Edigard Casciano, and the director of the Arab Brazilian Chamber, Sami Roumieh, that a meeting be held for Syrian and Brazilian infrastructure sector companies. \u201cThere is a huge potential for working with companies from Brazil,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n
To that extent, he stated that he might go to Brazil early next year with a delegation of businessmen and government officials. The promotion of a Syrian business mission to Brazil had already been proposed by Schahin to the president of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce, Mohammad Ghassan Al-Qalla, last Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Dardari said that it would be important for at least one Brazilian bank to be present in the Syrian market, in order to fund projects counting on the participation of companies from Brazil, as well as to operate in bilateral trade. Three years ago, Syria opened its banking sector to private and foreign participation, and now local institutions may have up to 60% foreign and 40% local capital.<\/p>\n
Similar to what the Syrian prime minister, Mohammad Naji Otri, did in a meeting with Schahin on Wednesday, Dardari also talked about the his country’s needs in the agricultural area. He said that the Syrian population, which currently totals 20 million people, should double by 2030, whereas the planted area should only grow by 1.5%.<\/p>\n
"Increasing productivity is the only way of feeding the country," he said. \u201cWe need technology,\u201d he added. Schahin had already told Otri that the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) has successfully developed seeds and farming techniques adapted to the Brazilian semiarid, and that the knowledge can be shared with Syria. Presently, for instance, Embrapa maintains cooperation projects in Africa.<\/p>\n
Social <\/b><\/p>\n
Dardari also said that the country’s institutional reform is going to enter its second phase, with goals to be attained from 2011 to 2015. This new chapter, according to him, will include greater investment in the social area, and the Syrian government is interested in Brazilian programs for poverty reduction and hunger alleviation. \u201cSyria really needs this type of approach. We need to be good not only in economic terms, but also from the social point of view,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He added that the country needs to build new hospitals and Schahin suggested an exchange in the medical field, particularly by means of the Syrian-Lebanese Hospital, in the city of S\u00e3o Paulo, which is maintained by the community of Arab origin and is considered to be among the best in Brazil, as well as cooperation between universities.<\/p>\n
Schahin is in Syria to set an agenda of actions to be taken by the Arab Brazilian Chamber, public and private organisations, in order to foster bilateral relations. Dardari suggested the setting of goals to be attained by late 2010 in the following areas: social, investment, trade and financing, tourism and culture. He also proposed for entrepreneurial events to be held alongside cultural activities. \u201cCulture adds much value for us,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n
Schahin is particularly interested in propagating Arab culture in Brazil, and has discussed the topic in all of the meetings he attended in Syria so far. One of the projects that he wants to see implemented is the creation of a House of Arab Culture in the city of S\u00e3o Paulo. This Thursday, he discussed the matter with Dardari, with the minister of Tourism, Saadallah Agha Al-Qalaa, and the deputy minister of Foreign Relations, Fayssal Mekdad.<\/p>\n
Schahin once again reiterated the invitation of president Luiz In\u00e1cio Lula da Silva for the Syrian president, Bashar Al-Assad, to visit Brazil. Lula went to Syria in 2003. According to Mekdad, Assad expressed an intention to travel to the country this year. Aside from Brazil, he wants to travel to Argentina, Venezuela and Cuba.<\/p>\n
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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