Damascus, Sept. 13 (SANA) Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan outlined steps to expand bilateral cooperation in trade, energy, transport and institutional coordination during a joint press conference in Damascus on Sunday.
Al-Shaibani said the press conference, held days after talks between the two sides in Ankara, reflected the rapidly expanding partnership between Syria and Türkiye and the strategic direction pursued by both countries.
He said Türkiye was among the first countries to reopen its embassy in Damascus and border crossings and supply lines following the events of Dec. 8, 2024, adding that Ankara also played a leading role in international forums calling for the lifting of sanctions imposed on the Syrian people.
Al-Shaibani said Türkiye’s position at a pivotal moment would remain part of Syria’s national memory, adding that Damascus and Ankara had advanced their partnership through dozens of meetings at presidential and ministerial levels.
He said the two countries had signed 40 agreements and memoranda of understanding and established an institutional network linking 22 Syrian ministries and agencies with their Turkish counterparts.
Trade, energy and regional connectivity
Al-Shaibani said bilateral cooperation had produced tangible results, including the May 2025 energy agreement and cross-border electricity supplies to northern Syria.
He also highlighted the twinning of Aleppo and Gaziantep, the resumption of round-the-clock road transport and transit operations through the Bab al-Hawa and al-Salama crossings, and the opening of a free zone and dry port in Idlib.
He said Syria and Türkiye aim to increase bilateral trade from nearly $4 billion last year to $10 billion through production partnerships, local content, Syrian employment and joint industrial zones along the border.
The minister said the two sides were also working toward a comprehensive energy strategy covering gas, electricity and power-grid interconnection.
Fidan said Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat’s recent visit to Damascus and Aleppo with a delegation of businesspeople focused on increasing investments and expanding trade, particularly in the energy sector.
He said Syria would play a pivotal role in connecting Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Gulf countries and Iraq with Türkiye and the Mediterranean.
Fidan added that work was underway on a railway project linking Türkiye and Saudi Arabia through Syria, which would strengthen regional connectivity with Europe.
Joint Higher Committee and refugee returns
Al-Shaibani said the talks focused on activating the Joint Higher Committee as the institutional framework overseeing political, diplomatic, economic and security cooperation between the two countries.
Fidan said the two sides also discussed the upcoming visit of the Turkish President to Syria, describing it as an important step during which decisions and measures taken by the Joint Higher Committee would be reviewed.
He said the committee would be jointly chaired, meet regularly and operate through a permanent secretariat, with specialized sectoral committees supporting its work.
The minister said its agenda would include energy, refugee returns, education and culture.
Al-Shaibani added that Syria had developed a comprehensive program for organized refugee returns, providing housing, employment and transportation services under Syrian management and linked to reconstruction projects in areas of origin.
He said Syria was close to reopening its embassy in Ankara, describing it as an important step in strengthening relations.
Fidan: Syria’s stability benefits the region
Fidan said Syrian-Turkish relations had made significant progress and that Syria’s stability was important not only for the Syrian people but for the wider region.
He said Türkiye viewed Syria’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity as essential, adding that all armed elements should integrate under state institutions.
Fidan described the decision regarding the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as an important step, saying positive developments in Syria would contribute to regional stability.
He said Syria’s removal from the US list of State Sponsors of Terrorism had eliminated one of the major obstacles to the country’s integration into the global economy.
Fidan also described the closure of Syria’s nuclear file at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as an important development, saying Türkiye sought to contribute to overcoming remaining obstacles.
Syria’s international reintegration and regional security
Al-Shaibani said Syria had turned the page on the Caesar Act and that the country’s removal from the US list of State Sponsors of Terrorism had enabled it to reclaim its place in Arab and international forums.
He said around 1.6 million Syrians had returned from abroad and nearly two million internally displaced people had returned to their home areas.
Regarding regional security, al-Shaibani said Israeli forces continued to violate Syria’s sovereignty through incursions into southern areas and attacks targeting villages and civilian property.
He said Syria’s position remained that Israeli forces must withdraw to the lines before Dec. 8, 2024, and fully comply with the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.
Al-Shaibani praised Türkiye’s position in support of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
kA/M.F
