Syria Welcomes Investment Cooperation With Russian Railway Companies - Transport Minister

Syria Welcomes Investment Cooperation With Russian Railway Companies - Transport Minister

Damascus welcomes investment cooperation with Russian railway companies amid efforts to reconstruct its railway network, which has been severely affected by seven years of the conflict, but no agreements have been signed yet, Syrian Transport Minister Ali Hammoud told Sputnik on Tuesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2018) Damascus welcomes investment cooperation with Russian railway companies amid efforts to reconstruct its railway network, which has been severely affected by seven years of the conflict, but no agreements have been signed yet, Syrian Transport Minister Ali Hammoud told Sputnik on Tuesday.

On Monday, Russian machine-building company UralVagonZavod (UVZ) told Sputnik that it was interested in supplying railway freight cars to Syria, which is seeking to revamp its railway fleet, and that negotiations on the matter were underway. The company added that it was ready to start deliveries as early as 2019.

"[Syria] welcomes investment cooperation with Russian railway companies in accordance with the law on partnership," Hammoud said.

The Syrian railway sector is engaged in talks on future cooperation with Russian Railways, the minister stated, adding that "no agreements with Russian railway companies have been struck yet."

"The war against Syria has left its mark on the railway sector, as well as other economic sectors, it lost qualified staff � The total material damage caused by the war amounted to $1.

033 billion," he stressed.

The official, however, noted that the transport system was currently seeking to expand in order to cover the whole country, and connect the centers of industrial and agricultural production with consumers and export markets.

Over the last year, the railway sector has implemented a number of reconstruction projects, such as rebuilding the railroad linking the cities of Aleppo and Jibrin, and establishing railway communication between the Shinshar station and granaries located in the area to transport grain from Syrian ports to the province of Homs, he added.

Syria has been restoring its cities and infrastructure that were destroyed during the years of war. Russia is actively assisting the country in returning to peaceful life.

Back in May, Russian Railways CEO Oleg Belozerov said the state company had held preliminary talks on possible participation in the reconstruction of Syria's railroads, noting that no decisions had been made so far.