RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Syria have agreed to strengthen bilateral trade and investment cooperation, particularly in sectors linked to Syria’s reconstruction and development, with housing, energy, transportation, ports, agriculture and industry identified as potential areas for collaboration.

The understanding was reached during a meeting between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani and Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan at the Ministry of Commerce.

Welcoming the Syrian Foreign Minister on his first visit to Pakistan, Jam Kamal said Pakistan attached great importance to its longstanding brotherly relations with Syria, based on shared history, culture and mutual respect.

He expressed solidarity with the Syrian people and conveyed condolences over the loss of lives and hardships suffered during the prolonged conflict. He also conveyed Pakistan’s best wishes for Syria’s peace, stability, reconstruction and long-term prosperity.

The Commerce Minister highlighted Pakistan’s export potential in textiles and apparel, pharmaceuticals, leather, sports goods, food processing, rice and other agricultural products, light engineering, information technology, cosmetics and value-added products.

He said the complementary strengths of the two economies offered considerable opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation and stressed the need for greater interaction between the private sectors of both countries to explore trade, investment and joint-venture opportunities.

Syrian Foreign Minister briefed Jam Kamal on Syria’s reconstruction and development priorities, saying the country was making progress in restoring essential infrastructure and public services.

He identified housing, real estate, energy, transportation, seaports, agriculture, industry and human-resource development as promising areas for cooperation.

Al-Shaibani said the existing volume of bilateral trade did not reflect the true potential of Pakistan-Syria economic relations and stressed the need for sustained institutional and business engagement.

He proposed establishing a Pakistan-Syria Joint Business Council to facilitate direct interaction between the business communities of the two countries. He also proposed holding a joint investment forum in Damascus, bringing together representatives of the public and private sectors of both countries.

The Syrian Foreign Minister further informed Jam Kamal that a delegation from Syria’s Ministry of Economy, which also oversees trade and industry, would visit Pakistan to explore opportunities for bilateral cooperation.

Jam Kamal proposed close coordination between the relevant trade authorities to identify priority sectors and prepare a practical roadmap for economic cooperation.

He also suggested arranging virtual meetings between Pakistani and Syrian businesses ahead of physical engagements to facilitate focused business matchmaking.

The Commerce Minister proposed reviving the Pakistan-Syria Joint Ministerial Commission and its relevant Joint Working Groups to provide a structured institutional framework for advancing cooperation in various sectors.

He also called for activation of the existing framework between the chambers of commerce of the two countries through regular exchanges, business delegations and business-to-business engagements.

Jam Kamal said Pakistan was willing to explore sending a trade and business delegation to Syria and expressed interest in strengthening Pakistan’s trade representation and institutional presence in the country in future.

Referring to historical and cultural links between the two countries, particularly Balochistan, the minister said historical accounts and traditions pointed to ancestral links between the Baloch people and Syria, adding that these bonds further enriched the longstanding relations between the peoples of Pakistan and Syria.

Both ministers reaffirmed their resolve to deepen bilateral relations and agreed to maintain close coordination to translate existing goodwill into concrete progress in trade, investment and economic cooperation.