The Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and the Syrian Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs held talks in Damascus, on strengthening economic, trade and security cooperation between the two countries.

The negotiations dealt with reviving the agreements signed between the two countries in the areas of ground, air, rail and sea transportation, reactivating the joint companies for ground transportation and establishing a joint company for rail transportation. Furthermore, the talks touched on the development of the Tartus port to service the transportation of goods across the harbor to Iraq.

The two sides also discussed the reactivation of the Kirkuk-Banias oil pipeline, the establishment of a new pipeline linking Iraqi gas network to the Arab gas pipeline project, the supply of gas from the Iraqi Akas field to a Syrian refinery to be established in Deir al-Zour and the creation of depositories for oil derivatives on both sides of the border between the two countries.

The talks also dealt with the establishment of a free trade zone on the Syrian-Iraqi border, the formation of a joint businessmen council for investment projects in infrastructure and the acceleration of the [link between] the Iraqi electricity grid and the Arab Network.

The Iraqi official called upon Syrian public and private companies to invest in his country’s infrastructure and improve the trade balance.

al-Thawra, Syria, December 16, 2007