Damascus,(SANA)-
Prime Minister, Mohammed Naji Otri, has underlined the strong deep historical relations between Syria and Algeria , indicating that the achievement of national and pan-Arab interest lies in the development of bilateral relations of cooperation.
At the Syrian-Algerian Higher Committee meeting in its first session in Damascus today, Otri said that the meeting constitutes a gathering for the interaction of ideas and view points whereby the tracks of joint cooperation are given momentum in response to the directives of the leaders of the two countries , President Bashar al-Assad and his brother , President Abdul-Aziz Boutaflika , pointing out to the current regional and international circumstances that necessitate Arab solidarity and combination of efforts in the faces of the challenges.
He said that instability in the Middle East and forms of tension have resulted from the continuation of the Israeli occupation of the Arab territories.
He indicated that Syria has embarked on an important role in the achievement of the Lebanese national reconciliation and has supported the Lebanese national dialogue and everything that the Lebanese agree upon .
He stressed that the meetings in Damascus today form the base for getting the relations between the two countries move to a new phase and wide horizons in proportions with the potentials of the two countries and importance of their geographic positions.
Otr underlined the necessity for the development of forms of cooperation among the chambers of commerce, industry, agriculture, and maritime, and activation of the businessmen and investors' role with the aim of expanding inter -trade and exchange of commodities and national products.
For his part, Ou-Yahya undelined that the meeting of the Syrian-Algerian Higher Committee gains special importance on the political level because it is being held in critical and sensitive Arab and regional circumstances that require the intensification of consultation and coordination in the face of the imposed challenges on the Arabs, stressing his country's support to unity of Arab ranks, and activation of the Arab nation solidarity.
He expressed confidence in the potential of opening wide promising prospects of cooperation between the two countries.
The two sides moved to discuss the approaches of joint cooperation in spheres of economy, trade, investment, agriculture, irrigation ,higher education , energy and environment.
The two sides called for the achievement of real full integration among the factors of the Syrian and Algerian economies whereby Syria can get what it needs from Algeria and Algeria can get what it needs from Algeria.
During the meeting the two sides agreed to complete discussion of the issues on their agenda by bilateral meetings of the participants ministers.
A.N.Idelbi