Syria and Turkey on Thursday signed an agreement and an executive guidebook for the Syrian-Turkish regional cooperation program.
The agreement was signed by Syrian Minister of Local Administration Tamer al-Hije, Chairman of the State Planning Commission Amer Lutfi, governors of Syrian provinces of Raqqa and al-Hasaka and the Turkish Minister of State Cevdet Yilmaj.
Minister al-Hije referred to the importance of the agreement in boosting economic and investment relations between the two countries, saying "this agreement is a continuation of the Syrian-Turkish cooperation agreement launched since 2007."
He added that 4 new provinces have been added to the Program, al-Raqqa, al-Hasaka, Urfah and Mardin with projects valued at $ 25 millions, of which $ 10 millions by the Syrian side and $15 millions by the Turkish side.
"The projects aim at making the border area pioneering points for development to be investment-attractive regions and example for regional cooperation," al-Hija said.
Lutfi, for his part, underlined that the Syrian-Turkish relation has a strategic characteristic that includes all domains, saying that the cooperation program seeks to achieve bigger regional expansion to make the border areas one of the growth engines in southeastern Turkey and northeastern Syria.
Yilmaj said the agreement comes in line with the directives of both countries' leaderships to enhance the standing cooperation in all fields and meet the aspirations of the two peoples, making the border areas as connection points to achieve the comprehensive development in the two states.
By Mazen Eyon
© SANA (Syria Arab News Agency) 2010
