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Abdullah Dardari, Syria's Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, is in Paris for talks with his French counterparts, including the French President's general secretary Claude Gueant.
In addition to railroads, marine transport, gas, petroleum, and electricity cooperation, Dardari held talks with the world's fourth-largest oil and gas company Total to renew a contract for oil extraction in Syria.
Dardari also discussed a 50 million euro loan from France. He expressed Syria's desire to lease nine Airbus planes directly from France and obtain another 50 over the next 10-20 years.
Sunday's visit, the first for a Syrian official since President Bashar Al Assad visited France in mid-July, comes in light of a newfound Franco-Syrian friendship, heralded by French President Nicolas Sarkozy after the election of Michel Sulaiman as president of Lebanon last May.
A Syrian source noted that Syria needs 10-15 airplanes, as the Syrian Accountability Act has left Syria's plane fleet close to obsolete. According to the US law, Syria cannot purchase spare parts for its Boeing fleet; a crippling reality that has haunted Syrian Airways since 2003.
Back in the early 1980s, Syria bought its first six Airbus 320s (each with 150 passengers). In 2006, the country announced that it needed to buy another seven for a total worth of $500 million, but was prevented from doing so by under the Accountability Act. So, Syria went ahead and bought seven airplanes from Russia.
Samir Seifan, a Syrian economist, spoke to Gulf News and noted that the Dardari visit "comes in light of the resumption of warm relations between Damascus and Paris; just as they had been before. This opens a window of opportunity for Paris to play not only a political role but to strengthen economic relations between Syria and Europe. This can be in three domains: the peace process, signing of the EU Partnership Agreement with Syria before the end of 2008, and the Airbus deal."
Already, a French company is to build two big cement factories in Syria worth $1.2 billion. By doing so, France will be breaking the western embargo on doing big deals in Syria, imposed by the US since 2003. It will also have an effect on international banks, which in the past, were reluctant to participate in Syrian deals because of the various layers of US sanctions. Commenting on signing the Partnership Agreement with Syria, however French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said, "My personal opinion is perhaps it's a bit too early, we are going to have to wait and see how the dialogue between Israel and Syria develops, but we should be prepared to move forward."
For the first time ever, Syria has achieved a trade surplus with France in 2007. Syrian exports reached $700 million compared with $500 worth of imports from France. "Syrian exports have risen due to the increase in oil prices as well as the diverse basket of Syrian goods exported to France," said Frederic Choblet from the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
He noted, "France and the European Union support and encourage Syria's policy taken in this regard." France will strive to activate its relations with Syria as part of the EU's plan to strengthen ties with the Mediterranean countries particularly in the environmental, transport and energy fields.
Another French 'giant' to re-enter the Syrian market in recent years is La Vache Qui Rit, outlawed in Syria since imports of all milk products was outlawed in 1982. Bel Group, the host company, has now set up its own production line in Syria, labelling itself as the second largest French investment in the country.
- The writer is a Syrian political analyst.
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