By Oqab Al-Rusheidi and Talal Al-Qaed, NNN-KUNA
Damascus : The ninth session of the Joint Kuwaiti-Syrian Ministerial Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation has ended with three agreements concluded dealing with tourism, culture and maritime transport.
They were signed, on the Kuwaiti side by Finance Minister Badr Al-Humaidhi, who was also acting Minister for Commerce and Industry. On the Syrian side, they were signed by Tourism Minister Saadallah Agha Al-Qalaa, Culture Minister Riad Naasan Al-Agha and Transport Minister Yaarub Badr.
The two sides also signed the minutes of the meeting and agreed to revive cooperation on both sides.
The Kuwaiti side asked the Syrian side to provide information on the Syrian trade and industry free zones.
In an address delivered at the occasion Wednesday, the Kuwaiti minister said trade exchange for Kuwait mainly relied on the price of the product, irrespective of whether it was produced in Kuwait or Syria. "The private sector is the one behind most commercial exchange deals in Kuwait," Al-Humaidhi said.
For his part, Syrian Economy and Trade Minister Amer Lutfi said the average volume of trade between Syria and Kuwait between 2000 and 2005 has been "quite weak" and at around USD 100 million.
Minister Al-Agha called for boosting tourism between the two states. As for Culture Minister Riad Al-Naasan, he stressed that cultural ties with Kuwait "need no agreements or protocols because we share the same culture."
Transport Minister Yaarub Badr said the agreements signed paved the way for free movement of ships raising either the Kuwaiti or Syrian flags.
He added that this consolidated earlier agreements signed between the two sides.