By NNN-SANA,
Damascus : Syrian President Bashar al-Assad received on Saturday Turkish Prim Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and discussed with him the special relations between the two friendly countries, particularly economic relations and role of businessmen in developing the economic cooperation in various fields.
Talks also dealt with the current situation in the region particularly in Iraq, Lebanon and in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Ways of activating the just and comprehensive peace process were discussed where President al-Assad praised efforts made by Turkey in this regard and expressed Syria’s readiness to continue cooperation with Turkey in all what serves security and stability of the region.
For his part, Erdogan expressed his deep satisfaction over the outcome of positive and fruitful talks with President al-Assad.
He stressed the importance of the role played by Syria in order to find political solutions to the existing issues in the region.
Both sides agreed to continue consultation and coordination between the two countries regarding the issues raised at various levels.
The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem and Chief Adviser to Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davudoglu.
Then, President al-Assad, held a luncheon banquet in honor of Erdogan, during which they continued talks. The banquet was attended by members of the Syrian and Turkish official delegations.
Erdogan described his talks with President al-Assad as ” successful and fruitful,” affirming that his visit to Damascus contributed in consolidation of bilateral relations between the two countries and relations of friendship and brotherhood between the two peoples.
In a statement to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) upon leaving Damascus this afternoon, Erdogan said: ” My talks with President al-Assad dealt with bilateral relations in political, economic and cultural fields. We studied the steps that we can step in the future where we centered on the economic side,”
He pointed out that the first Syrian-Turkish Economic Forum in Damascus would move the two countries relations to new upcoming stages, noting that the volume of trade exchange amounted to (1) billion and 200 million Dollars in the last year.
Erdogan expected volume of trade exchange to reach to 2 billion Dollars at the end of this year. He said that the second meeting of the Syrian Turkish economic forum will be held in Turkey.
At Damascus International Airport, Erdogan was seen off by Prime Minister Mohamed Naji Ottri, Deputy Primer for Economic Affairs,
Ministers of irrigation, economy and trade, oil and mineral resources, electricity, transport, industry and Turkish minister of state for foreign trade affairs as well as Syria’s ambassador in Ankara and Turkey’s ambassador in Damascus.