Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Economic Development Gennady Bekoev spoke at a briefing in Tskhinval about the results of the trip of the South Ossetian delegation to the Syrian Arab Republic, where South Ossetian representatives took part in the 61st Damascus Fair.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the purpose of the trip was not only participation in the fair, but also the signing of an agreement on the opening of Trading houses.
“As for the fair itself, this is a huge platform where the products manufactured in Syria were exhibited. In addition, more than forty countries exhibited their products, but we were primarily interested in the goods produced in Syria, and their variety is huge. There are a lot of goods in the food industry, electrical engineering, etc.,” Bekoev noted.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, the South Ossetian delegation was mainly interested in olive oil, coffee, tea, dried fruits, etc.,
The Agreement has been reached!
The issue of opening Trading Houses of South Ossetia in Syria and vice versa will be implemented in the near future.
“I still can’t announce the exact date, but I think that if not by the end of this year, then at the beginning of the next year the project will be launched. In the Trading House, we will exhibit Syrian products. Trade pavilions will also be used as exhibition venues in both countries. Syria and South Ossetia can exhibit their products there. Currently the issue of allocating objects or sites for the construction of Trading houses is being worked out,” said Bekoev.
Touching on the variety of products exhibited the trading houses, Gennady Bekoev has added that Syria has a large assortment, and they will not have any problems with which assortment in South Ossetia.
“We can offer water for now. There are some more developments, but for now we will not get ahead of ourselves. The opening of Trading houses is the first step in the practical implementation of bilateral cooperation,” said the Minister of Economy.
Tourism and business
In addition to cooperation in the field of trade, according to Gennady Bekoev, it is possible to develop relations in the field of tourism. “Naturally, we must develop the flow of tourists, and when we showed the photo albums with the beauties of South Ossetia, they were very interested and expressed a desire to visit our Republic. Among them were representatives of various production plants, heads of investment free zones and platforms - industrial parks,” Bekoev emphasized.
Syrian business has a lot to offer today. In addition, according to the Deputy Prime Minister, pharmaceutical production is being launched in Syria, and later it will be possible to work out the issue of cooperation in this area.
“Today, the Syrian Republic is at the recovery stage after recent military events, and South Ossetia can offer its assistance in the construction and restoration processes. In particular, it can offer builders, construction services in conjunction with cooperating firms from South Ossetia. And this issue is also at the development stage,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.
Sore questions
At the press conference, journalists were also interested in changes in the tariff plans of Megafon South Ossetia, which caused great outrage among the residents of the Republic. Information regarding the export of beech also raises many questions. Gennady Bekoev assured the media that these issues were discussed, under control, at the stage of elaboration, but so far “there are no anyresults”.
“We are working, a whole commission has been created, and the question of Megaphone is being worked out. As for beech, the investor has his obligations to the Republic, they must invest 325 million rubles. in the construction of a plant for the processing of wood and the manufacture of various furniture products, and only after we can talk about the cutting down. At the same time, deforestation will take place under the strict control of the relevant structures - the Forestry Administration and the Committee on Ecology and Geology,” he assured.
Bekoev has added that the plant will be built in South Ossetia.
Pre-history
It should be reminded that in late August, the delegation of South Ossetia, headed by Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Economic Development Gennady Bekoev, left for the Syrian Arab Republic, where the 61st Damascus Fair was held. The South Ossetian delegation took part in the events of interest for the development of priority areas of the South Ossetian economy, in particular, agriculture, road infrastructure, and tourism.
Participation in the Damascus International Fair is a great opportunity to establish economic contacts and strengthen our presence in the Syrian market, which has been actively developing recently. The 61st Damascus International Fair is held under the patronage of the President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Bashar Hafez al-Assad.
The Damascus International Fair is one of the oldest and largest exhibitions in the Middle East. In 2017, the fair resumed its work after a five-year break.
Deputy Prime Minister -Minister of Economic Development Gennady Bekoev and Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade of the SAR Samer Al Khalil signed an agreement on opening trading houses in the Republic of South Ossetia and the Syrian Arab Republic.
In addition, during the trip, the signing of the document took place. The agreement provides for the opening of trade pavilions in the territory of the two republics, in which Syrian and South Ossetian goods will be positioned. Shopping centers will be used for exhibitions and presentations.
In July 2018, as part of the official visit of President Anatoly Bibilov to Damascus, was signed the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between the Republic of South Ossetia and the Syrian Arab Republic.
