Syria, Germany sign air transport deal, establish joint committee

Syria and Germany have signed an air transport agreement and announced the formation of a joint committee to advance cooperation on economic recovery, reconstruction, investment and refugee issues.

The declaration establishing the Syrian-German Joint Committee was signed in Damascus on Thursday by Qutaiba Kadish, director of international cooperation at Syria’s Foreign Ministry, and German Minister of State at the Foreign Office Geza Andreas von Geyr, the SANAnews agency reported.

Following the signing, the committee held its inaugural session, co-chaired by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al Shaibani and von Geyr.

According to SANA, the committee will address economic recovery, reconstruction, efforts to attract joint investments, and cooperation in the energy, transport and civil aviation sectors.

It will also discuss transitional justice, missing persons, Syrian refugees in Germany and ways to facilitate their voluntary return.

Separately, Samah Arabi, deputy head of Syria’s General Authority for Civil Aviation and Air Transport, and von Geyr signed an air transport agreement between the two countries.