A forum that brought together businessmen from Syria and Iraq to discuss the marketing of Syrian products was held on Saturday at Damascus-based Sheraton Hotel.

Organized by the Chamber of Industry of Damascus and its Countryside, the Forum was held in cooperation with the Syrian Exporters Federation (SEF) and the Exports and Local Production Support and Development Agency with the participation of Syrian businessmen and industrialists and Iraqi businessmen.

In turn, Head of SEF Mohammad al-Sawwah affirmed that the aim of the Forum is to revitalize networking between Syrian industrialists and Iraqi businessmen and explain the work mechanism of the Syrian Products Marketing Center and the goods warehouses established by the SEF in Baghdad.

He highlighted the tenfold increase in Syrian exports to Iraq during and after the Damascus International Fair that was held last August.

“There is a freight plane carrying Syrian goods to Iraq daily and a cargo ship every Monday,” he noted, stressing that the Iraqi and Syrian sides want to revive the movement of exporting Syrian goods to the Iraqi market up to what it was in 2010, where the volume of Syrian exports reached USD 8-10 billion annually.

For his part, Head of Iraqi businessmen delegation Fouad al-Khafaji affirmed the importance of opening Iraqi markets for Syrian goods, particularly after 7 years of hiatus.

He referred to the great efforts made by Syrian side to hold the Syrian goods exhibition during next December at Baghdad International Fair, pointing out that huge warehouses for Syrian goods will be set up in Baghdad permanently after Baghdad’s exhibition.