President Ahmed Al-Sharaa received his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron at the People's Palace in Damascus on Tuesday, where the two presidents chaired a round table meeting that included a group of industry and economy leaders and leaders of shipping and shipping fleets from both sides, in preparation for the signing of a package of agreements and investment memoranda of understanding.
Syria: A Global Connectivity Node and an Integrated Roadmap
At the beginning of the meeting, President Al-Sharaa stressed that Syria has regained its vital role as an indispensable link in the global corridor market thanks to its strategic location that connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Gulf and Iraq, especially after international crises (such as the Strait of Hormuz crisis) proved the world's need for safe and stable corridors.
Al-Sharaa cited the success of the existing partnerships, noting that the French group "CMI-CGM", which signed the contract for the development of the port of Latakia 14 months ago with an investment of 230 million euros, decided to inject an additional 200 million euros to increase the port's capacity.
The Syrian president also announced an integrated roadmap for reconstruction in partnership with France based on a sovereign decision to build a modern investment environment governed by laws and institutions, stressing the readiness of Syrian industrial cities to be a launching pad for French factories.
Paris announces readiness for construction and joint committees with the Gulf
For his part, the French president announced his country's full readiness to support reconstruction and build trust with Syria, stressing that France will be a prominent investment partner in multiple vital fields exported by the energy and banking sectors.
Macron revealed that there are extensive and joint economic committees working to support the reconstruction file in Syria in partnership with Gulf countries, pointing out that despite the challenges, there are real opportunities to build strong partnerships, stressing: "We will always be by the side of the Syrian people."
Signing of the Comprehensive Cooperation Framework and the Modernization of the Aviation and Navigation Sector
Following the roundtable meeting, and in the presence of Presidents Al-Sharaa and Macron, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Al-Shaibani and his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrow signed a comprehensive cooperation framework to strengthen relations between the two countries in vital sectors including the renewal of the air fleet, energy exploration in regional waters, modernization of electricity and water networks, digital components, civil registry, university hospitals and food industries.
In a related context, the aviation sector has enjoyed a large share of the agreements, as the head of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Omar Al-Hosari, confirmed the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the French Ministry of Transport aimed at exchanging experiences and technical support for the reintegration of Syria into the global and European aviation system.
A memorandum of understanding was also signed with the French company "Thales" to develop air navigation services and increase the efficiency of air traffic, in addition to an agreement between the "Syrian Aviation Holding Company" and a major French company specialized in air cargo to activate and develop cargo houses through the use of cargo planes dedicated for the benefit of the Syrian Authority.
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