Damascus, Jan 23 (IANS) Syria’s interim Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani told the World Economic Forum in Davos that his country offered “tremendous investment opportunities” despite the devastation of over a decade of war, while a UN envoy in Damascus called for sanctions relief.
Speaking in a public discussion with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, al-Shibani said on Wednesday Syria’s priorities included rebuilding infrastructure such as telecommunications, roads, ports, education, healthcare, and energy, Xinhua news agency reported quoting Syria’s state news agency SANA.
“We don’t want to rely solely on humanitarian aid. We aim to rebuild Syria with our own hands,” al-Shibani said, citing partnerships with Gulf nations to revitalise the electrical grid. He also highlighted the potential contribution of Syrian expatriates.
Al-Shibani urged the international community to lift sanctions, describing them as “the main obstacle” for ordinary Syrians. He said Syria had a “diverse economy” and a “strategically important geography” and was eager for foreign investment “on fair and transparent terms.”
Separately, in Damascus, UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen stressed the urgency of addressing Syria’s economic crisis and advocated for sanctions relief as part of a broader stabilisation process.
Pedersen outlined seven key challenges facing Syria: unifying armed factions, addressing issues in the northeast, ensuring citizen protection, advancing a political transition, delivering transitional justice, promoting economic recovery and reconstruction, and addressing Israel’s presence in the Golan Heights.
He reiterated that any credible political solution must be “Syrian-led and Syrian-owned,” calling for an inclusive transition, including a new constitution and free elections.
Al-Shibani told the Davos forum that Syria was “ready to open its doors” to global investors, citing development models like Singapore and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
While acknowledging the challenges posed by sanctions, the need for international partnerships and ongoing security risks, particularly in the northeast, al-Shibani emphasised that “Syria will not be divided” and that a united and stable nation was essential for attracting investment and meeting citizens’ needs.
–IANS
int/rs
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by BhaskarLive.in and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of BhaskarLive.in We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, BhaskarLive.in takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
