RTMon, 12 Feb 2018 18:01 UTC
© Bassam Khabieh / ReutersChildren are inspecting damages on a street in Damascus
Russia has invited its partners among the BRICS nations (Brazil, India, China and South Africa) to establish a foothold in the promising Syrian market, according to the Russian Ambassador to the country, Alexander Kinshchak.
"According to Syrian estimates, losses in the real sector of the economy topped $75 billion," the ambassador told TASS news agency. "UN experts believe that it will take nearly $200 billion to achieve the pre-crisis GDP growth rate," he added.
"We are aware that the Syrian government will find it difficult to obtain a huge amount of money required for the post-crisis recovery," Kinshchak explained.
"Therefore, Russia suggested that the international community, first of all, the nations friendly to Syria, should join efforts in order to work out a complex program for its revival," he added.
Kinshchak said Russia was
looking to BRICS and allies like Iran and other states that have independent foreign policies and are motivated to gain a foothold in the promising Syrian market.In 2016, Damascus and Moscow signed nearly a billion dollars' worth of agreements to rebuild war-torn Syria. Russia was offered a chance to participate in exploring and developing oil and gas on land and offshore. In particular, it was invited to upgrade the Baniyas refinery and construct a refinery with Iran and Venezuela.
Syria has begun agricultural exports to Russia. The countries also intend to open a bank to facilitate transfers. The bank would be controlled 50-50 by the countries' central banks.
Comment: Beijing has
already committed to playing a bigger role in Syria by investing in the country:
Beijing intends to play a bigger role in Syria by providing more aid to the country struggling to put an end to a seven-year conflict, Chinese Ambassador to Syria Qi Qianjin told Xinhua news agency.
"I think it's about time to focus all efforts on the development and reconstruction of Syria, and I think China will play a bigger role in this process by providing more aid to the Syrian people and the Syrian government," the ambassador said Sunday, as quoted by the outlet.
..
Earlier, the Syrian Minister of Transport told Sputnik that after fixing the transport network within the country, the construction of a railway line to China might be possible.
According to the Global Times, at least 30 Chinese have travelled to Syria since April, looking for investment opportunities
Quite a contrast to the Empire of Chaos where destruction is a specialty, but reconstruction and aid...not so much!
Comment: Beijing has already committed to playing a bigger role in Syria by investing in the country: Quite a contrast to the Empire of Chaos where destruction is a specialty, but reconstruction and aid...not so much!