DAMASCUS, Syria, Aug 29 (NNN-SANA) – With the participation of hundreds of foreign and local companies, the 61st round of the Damascus International Trade Fair kicked off in the Syrian capital Damascus, on Wednesday, with a message of “victory” to the world.
Companies from 38 Arab and foreign companies are taking part in the fair that is held under the motto: “From Damascus to the World.”
Several companies from China, Russia, Iran, Belarus, and India are also taking part in the fair.
Companies from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) participate in the fair for the first time, since the beginning of the Syrian crisis more than eight years ago.
The fair, which is considered as Syria economy’s window to the world, was inaugurated by Prime Minister, Imad Khamis.
Khamis said, in the opening speech that Syria, after nine years of hard and fierce war, is proud of the sacrifices of the armed forces and their noble victories that liberated the majority of Syria from terrorism.
“The war, to which Syria was exposed, has never been of military or political feature only, but it was, on one side of it, an economic terrorist war,” Khamis said.
He stressed, the Damascus International Fair returns to complete its economic, social, cultural and civilisational message and be a bridge between the East and the West.
“Syria welcomes every project of economic cooperation, bilateral or collective, particularly it prepares for the reconstruction process with powerful investment opportunities, supported by intensified governmental efforts,” Khamis said.
For his part, Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Faisal Mekdad, said, holding the fair sends a message to the entire world that the country is on the road to victory.
“It’s important because this is another event which shows the entire world that Syria is on the road of victory, both militarily on terrorism and economically. The number of companies and countries that are participating in this fair show that the world is coming to Syria,” he told reporters in English.
The fair was suspended after the war began in 2011, and resumed in 2017. The aim of the fair, during the last couple of years, was to encourage foreign investments to get involved in Syria’s reconstruction.
The fair comes this year amid U.S. threats of imposing sanctions on the companies that take part in the fair.
On Aug 22, U.S. embassy in Damascus posted calls on its social networking platforms, for boycotting the fair and threatened sanctions against companies that take part.
However, the Syrian government has repeatedly stressed that it will turn to friendly countries, to overcome the negative impacts of the sanctions, which it says are “unfair and target the livelihood of the Syrians.”
Syria’s Presidential Advisor, Buthaina Shaaban, was cited as saying that, the unilateral U.S. sanctions on Syria are “illegitimate and lack international credibility.”
The fair this year also comes as the Syrian army is fighting rebel groups in their last major stronghold in the northwestern province of Idlib.
The Syrian army has made notable progress in the battles, capturing key areas from the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, in the southern countryside of Idlib.– NNN-SANA
