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Syria

Turkey turns east to form free trade zone
16-Jun-2010
Turkey has embarked on the road to a “Middle Eastern Union” as an alternative to the European Union, according to some observers, after Ankara unveiled its vision for a giant free-trade zone spanning from the Bosphorus to Sudan and Morocco.
Davutoğlu proposes regional trade alliance at TAC meeting
11-Jun-2010
Turkey aims to create a free trade zone without visa restrictions with Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu told the Turkish-Arab Cooperation Forum (TAC), which began in İstanbul on Thursday.
Lebanon, Syria Jordan and Turkey to set up FTA
11-Jun-2010 AFP
Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria agreed yesterday to set up a free trade zone based on “existing bilateral agreements and practices on free trade and visa exemption” between the parties, adding that Turkey and Lebanon were required to complete a bilateral arrangement before the four-way process could go ahead.
Israel dominates Turkey-Arab forum
10-Jun-2010
Turkey’s prime minister has urged Arab nations to unite and step-up efforts to end Israel’s blockade on the Gaza Strip.
Syria: timing of accord depends on EU ’flexibility’
17-Mar-2010 AFP
Syria said on Tuesday it will soon restart talks with the European Union on a stalled partnership agreement, but that its timing will depend on the flexibility shown to Damascus over certain points.
Syria, Turkey Discuss Economic & Investment Cooperation
25-Feb-2010
Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Otri and Turkish Minister of State for Economic Affairs Zafer Caglayan on Wednesday discussed means and ways of bolstering the standing cooperation between Syria and Turkey.
Spain expects pact with Syria during EU presidency
4-Feb-2010 Reuters
European Union president Spain expects the EU to sign by June a major economic deal with Syria that has been on ice for the last five years, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said on Wednesday.
Syria considers European deal
29-Nov-2009 Syria News Wire
The EU finally agreed to its trade deal with Syria in October. Syria surprised Europe by saying it needed time to decide. Now it has admitted why – Syrian businessmen are concerned about competition from European companies.
Syria Stalls on Signing Trade Deal With EU
20-Nov-2009
After years of pursuing a free-trade pact with the European Union, Syria is balking at signing a deal, as local businesses express worry about competition from European goods.
Syria’s Assad wants to review EU pact before sealing deal
23-Oct-2009 AFP
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad insisted on Thursday that Damascus must review a partnership agreement with the European Union, which had been due to be signed next week, before it can be sealed.
Syria asks to delay signing of EU partnership agreement
19-Oct-2009 Monsters and Critics
Syria on Sunday asked to postpone the signing of an economic partnership agreement with the European Union, following disputes over provisions covering human-rights and political reform.
EU puts Middle East policies on hold until US talks
11-Sep-2009 EU Observer
EU diplomats in Brussels on Thursday (10 September) put off a decision on signing an Association Agreement with Syria until October at the earliest. EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels next week were due to discuss the pact. But it was dropped from the agenda after the Netherlands said it would veto the existing text on human rights grounds.
Britain backs Syria-EU pact despite concerns
5-Aug-2009 Reuters
Britain supports signing an economic pact between Syria and the European Union despite its concerns about human rights violations by Damascus, a British official said Tuesday.
Sealing the deal
14-Mar-2009 Syria Today
After years of political wrangling, Syria’s long-delayed Association Agreement (AA) with the European Union is expected to be ratified by EU member states by the middle of the year.
Syria keen to sign Association Agreement with EU, Minister of Economy says
19-Feb-2009 SANA
Minister of Economy and Trade Amer Hosni Lutfi underlined Tuesday that Syria is interested in signing the Syrian-European Association Agreement and joining the World Trade Organization because this will help accelerate the economic reform program in the country.
EU commissioner: EU-Syrian partnership agreement to be approved soon
17-Feb-2009
Visiting European Union (EU) Commissioner for External Affairs and Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner said here Monday that a long-delayed partnership agreement between the EU and Syria would be approved soon.
New Syrian-Turkish economic ties forged
31-Jan-2009 IWPR
Syria and Turkey have recently bolstered economic relations by signing new agreements on trade, investment and finance.. Experts say the growing ties are in part a result of Ankara’s ambitions to expand into Arab markets via Syria.
Syria Proposes Malaysia-Syria FTA
8-Jan-2009
Syria today suggested Malaysia and Syria sign a free trade agreement to intensify economic, trade and investment ties between the two countries.
Syria, EU initial cooperation agreement
16-Dec-2008 AFP
Syria and the European Union on Sunday initialled a cooperation agreement in Damascus, four years after completion of a deal which EU member states failed to sign for political reasons.
Syria-EU ties set for revival before Christmas holidays
2-Dec-2008
Syrian and European officials are expecting to initial a second phase of the Syrian-EU Partnership Agreement, which has been on-hold due to political tension since 2004, before the Christmas holidays.