Crimea, Syria Sign Agreement On Trade, Economic Cooperation- Crimean Deputy Prime Minister

The Republic of Crimea and Syria have signed an agreement to develop trade and economic cooperation, which will help to ensure regular bilateral trade, Georgy Muradov, Crimea's deputy prime minister and envoy to the Russian president, told Sputnik on Friday

DAMASCUS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th August, 2019) The Republic of Crimea and Syria have signed an agreement to develop trade and economic cooperation, which will help to ensure regular bilateral trade, Georgy Muradov, Crimea's deputy prime minister and envoy to the Russian president, told Sputnik on Friday.

The official pointed out that the Crimean delegation, which visited the 61st International Fair in Damascus, continued the work that was started during Crimean head Sergei Aksyonov's visit to Syria in October 2018.

"Initially, [in October] we signed memorandums and protocols on intentions; while on Thursday [we] signed the basic agreement with the Syrian minister of economic development and trade, which ensures the contractual legal framework for our cooperation. That is the agreement on trade and economic cooperation between the Republic of Crimea and the Syrian Arab Republic," Muradov said.

The deal is based on the agreements reached during Aksyonov's visit to Syria in October, according to the Crimean deputy prime minister. The parties agreed to found a joint Crimean-Syrian trading house that would focus on a number of trade issues.

"Crimea, in turn, as a Russian region, is ready to serve as Russia's southern gate to deliver goods from our numerous ports, which are under-loaded today, to Syria ... and Syrian goods to Crimea and Russia in general," Muradov noted.

The agreement will also help develop transport cooperation. The parties, particularly, have plans to create a joint Crimean-Syrian shipping company. The Crimean delegation and Syria had agreed to develop cooperation between seven ports of the Crimean Republic and the Syrian port of Latakia.