Finance Minister Mohammad Yasser Barnea and Central Bank of Syria Governor Safwat Ruslan met with representatives of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Bangkok to discuss ways to enhance cooperation and reactivate the agency's presence in Syria to support recovery, development, and capacity-building efforts.
The Ministry of Finance stated that both sides discussed the Japanese agency's interest in the health sector and the "Syria Without Camps" initiative. The Syrian side presented an overview of the initiative, emphasizing the importance of long-term, multi-sectoral interventions and not limiting efforts to short-term responses.
Both sides agreed to share the initiative's plans, sectors, and priority areas with the agency, paving the way for a coordination meeting with the initiative's steering committee to discuss potential areas of support.
JICA's role in responding to Syrian needs
The two sides discussed ways to enhance capacity building, particularly regarding access to universal health coverage and the file of outstanding debts. The Syrian side will present its vision on this matter to explore ways to address it.
The Syrian side emphasized the importance of strengthening JICA's presence and its role in responding to Syrian needs.
Regarding financial and technical cooperation, both sides agreed that agency representatives would convey messages from the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank to the Bank of Japan to discuss the possibility of opening an account for the Syrian Central Bank at the bank and providing technical training programs for Syrian personnel.
Finance Minister Mohammad Yasser Barnea had previously met in December 2025 with Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Yohini Onishi and the accompanying delegation that visited Damascus at the time, to discuss ways to enhance joint cooperation between the two countries in economic and financial fields.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
Comments (0)