In his welcoming speech at the Council of Ministers of the SAR, President Aslan Bzhania said:

“Dear Mr. Prime Minister, dear colleagues! Let me congratulate all of us on the work commencement  of the Abkhaz-Syrian intergovernmental commission. This is of great importance for development of relations between our states, which have great potential for mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, such as economy, agriculture, tourism, science, culture and sports.

Many interstate documents have already been signed, the basic of which is the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between the Republic of Abkhazia and the Syrian Arab Republic. There has been formed an Abkhaz-Syrian intergovernmental commission which is designed to fill the agreements reached with concrete content. The Abkhaz side is interested in development of mutually beneficial cooperation and is ready to actively get involved in the work. I have given the necessary instructions to the co-chair from the Abkhaz side, Mrs. Ozgan and other members of the delegation. I am sure that the results of the work of the intergovernmental commission will contribute to implementation of specific mutually beneficial projects. I wish the participants of the meeting fruitful work for the benefit of the peoples of Abkhazia and Syria. "

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy Christina Ozgan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Agriculture Beslan Dzhopua, Minister of Tourism Teimuraz Khishba, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tamila Mertskhulava. The Syrian part included Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade Muhammad Samer Al-Khalil, Minister of Tourism Muhammad Martini, Minister of Transport Zuhair Khuzaim, Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform Muhammad Hasan Qatna, Chairman of the Committee for Planning and International Cooperation Imad Sabouni, Director of the Europe Department of the Syrian Foreign Ministry Luai Fallowh, Director of the Department for Cooperation with Europe in the Planning and International Cooperation Committee Tariq Al-Jawabra, Director of the Department of Cultural Relations of the Ministry of Higher Education Aqil Mahfoud, Director of the Plant Protection Department of the Ministry of Agriculture Iyad Muhammad; Director of the Department of Cultural Relations of the Ministry of Culture Ziad Maiman, Head of the Foreign Operations and Correspondents of the Central Bank of Syria Ali Al-Manla.

The participants of the Joint Committee discussed in detail the issues of practical implementation of cooperation in the field of economy, tourism and agriculture.

As a result of commission's work, there were signed agreements on cooperation between the ministries of economy and tourism of Abkhazia and Syria. The documents were signed by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy of Abkhazia Christina Ozgan and Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade of Syria Muhammad Samer Al Khalil, also Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Abkhazia Teimuraz Khishba and Minister of Tourism of the SAR Mahammad Martini.