Turkey's Foreign Minister Emphasizes Ankara and Damascus' Commitment to $10 Billion Partnership

Hakan Fidan, Turkey's Foreign Minister, emphasized the commitment of Ankara and Damascus to elevate the level of trade exchanges to $10 billion at the end of his two-day visit to Damascus. This visit took place at a critical time for the economic and political relations between the two countries, during which negotiations were also held to draft a comprehensive strategic document in the energy sector.

Emphasis on Syria's Territorial Integrity

During this visit, Fidan met and discussed with senior Syrian officials, including Ahmad al-Shara, the transitional president of Syria, and Asaad al-Shibani, the Foreign Minister. In these meetings, he stressed the importance of maintaining Syria's unity and territorial integrity and referred to the joint efforts of the two countries to achieve peace and prosperity for the Syrian people.

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The Turkish Foreign Minister also announced on the social media platform “X” that these meetings included necessary coordination for the upcoming visit of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of Turkey, to Syria. He described the current regional conditions as sensitive and decisive, stating: “These meetings once again emphasized the shared will to protect Syria's territorial integrity.”

Restoration of Security in Damascus

Fidan, referring to his observations of the streets of Damascus, said: “I am very pleased to see that the people of Syria are, by their own will, building a safe, stable, and prosperous country for all groups of society.” These remarks came as Asaad al-Shibani, the Syrian Foreign Minister, also announced the two countries' efforts to draft a comprehensive strategic document in the energy sector, with both sides aiming to achieve an annual trade volume of $10 billion.

In another part of his statements, Fidan strongly criticized Israel's regional policies, adding: “Ankara has long believed that Israel plays a destructive role in regional stability and, instead of moving towards a positive and constructive role, continues its policies based on expansionism, destruction, and creating insecurity.”

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