The co-chairs of this committee are Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy Christina Ozgan, and Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade of Syria Muhammad Samer Al-Khalil.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Daur Kove, representatives of the Ministry of Tourism, State Customs Committee and the Bank of Abkhazia.
Christina Ozgan noted that there were very actively discussed issues of interaction in all areas within the framework of the committee's work.
“It is planned that representatives of the Syrian business community will visit Abkhazia in the summer, and most likely in the fall we will prepare the second meeting of the Abkhaz-Syrian committee in our country. In the context of the agreements reached in Damascus, you and I need to work out a certain package of bilateral documents that will allow us to expand cooperation in the areas that we discussed. This applies to the banking sector, culture, education, sports and a number of other areas, ” Ozgan said.
She also said that Abkhazia was invited to take part in the annual Damascus Fair.
It is also planned to organize an exhibition-fair of Abkhaz products by the arrival of Syrian businessmen in Abkhazia.
“I would like the relevant ministries and departments that are included in the committee to give their proposals in the form of draft agreements, memorandums or other formats of cooperation in order to present them at the second meeting of the committee,” Ozgan said.
According to Christina Ozgan, the Syrian colleagues are showing particular interest in cooperation in banking sector.
Ozgan instructed the Bank of Abkhazia to determine the concept of cooperation with the SAR by the next month.
“The tourism is also of particular importance. They are interested in visiting Abkhazia and getting to know it. We must offer certain options for cooperation. The agreement signed in Syria allows us to do this, ” Ozgan said.
At the meeting of the committee in Damascus, the issue of cooperation in the field of agriculture was also discussed.
“We need to prepare a draft agreement so we can work it out with the Syrian side for further signing within three months,” she said.
Deputy Prime Minister noted that there will be worked out an issue of student exchange.
“It is necessary to think over how and in what format our teams will represent Abkhazia in Syria and the Syrian teams will represent their country here. It is necessary to prepare an agreement providing a wide format of cooperation in the field of culture, ” Ozgan said.
“Our task is not to turn that positive mood of our collegues in Syri into a routine. It is necessary to demonstrate interest and activity, to sign certain documents that will allow us to expand our interaction, ” Christina Ozgan summed up the meeting.