The meeting was held between the President of the CCI of RA Tamila Mertskhulava and the delegation of the People’s Council of Syria at the office of the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Abkhazia.

Welcoming the guests, the President of the CCI noted that she was pleased that guests fr om Syria came to Abkhazia in order to share the joy of Victory and recognition of the Independence of the Republic together with her people.

- We will always be grateful to the people of Syria and President Bashar al-Assad for recognition of the Republic of Abkhazia in 2018. I am glad that such meetings are becoming regular”, - emphasized Tamila Mertskhulava.

She remembered how warmly and attentively the delegation of the CCI of RA was received in Damascus, and expressed hope that all the issues and projects raised at the meetings in Syria would eventually be implemented and would serve to bring the business communities of both countries closer.

Tamila Mertskhulava emphasized the readiness of the CCI of RA to facilitate the opening of the Representative Office of the Chamber and the Trading House of Abkhazia in Damascus as well as the Trading House of Syria in Abkhazia.

- There is support of the leadership on this issue from the head of state Raul Khadjimba and the government. Moreover, there is a desire and interest on the part of entrepreneurs and I am sure that our people have so much ahead in terms of cooperation”,-said the President of the CCI of RA.

In turn, the deputy of the People’s Council of Syria, head of the committee of families of those killed during the war in Syria, Janset Kazanba, said that the Syrian delegation arrived to convey congratulations on Victory Day on behalf of the speaker of the People’s Council and the entire people of Syria. Ms. Kazanba introduced the members of the delegation, which was composed of : Hasib Nadim Tahan, His Excellency, - General, Deputy Head of the National Security Committee; Aiman ​​Aref Haruk - General, member of the National Security Committee, Mari Shhada Bitar - Colonel, member of the National Security Committee and the Women's Committee; Deputy Fares Nur Zhnidan - the head of the Znidan family from Alepo; Imad Salah Namur is an engineer, a member of the National Security Committee and Iyad Hassan Ismail is responsible for public relations.

“We are proud that we have friends in Abkhazia and that during the war in Syria, the people of Abkhazia have come forward to assist us ”, - emphasized Janset Kazanba.

She stated that, despite the war, President Bashar Assad instructed the deputies of the People’s Council to work in order to expand the external ties of the state, which ultimately lead to the recognition of Abkhazia by Syria. Janset Kazanba recalled that the participation and exposition of the CCI of RA at International Damascus Fair has always generated a great interest of the Syrian people.

She bitterly spoke of the tragic death of the Prime Minister, founder and first President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Abkhazia Gennady Gaguliya, whose death became a great loss for the Syrians who knew him.

Janset Kazanba reported that a delegation from Syria had a meeting with Syrian repatriates who had taken refuge in Abkhazia.

- We, through our committee on economics and industry, intend, if necessary, to assist the CCI of Abkhazia in matters of cooperation at the level of the Syrian government. The people of Syria and Abkhazia are different, but we have the same goals, so we must support each other and stand next to each other”,- emphasized the deputy.

She invited the President of the CCI of RA and the staff of the chamber to visit Syria, while noting that the Syrian delegation feels like home in Abkhazia.

“Your country is a gift from God,” says Janset Kazanba.

Thanking the guests from Syria for their kind words and good wishes, Tamila Mertskhulava noted that the CCI is fruitfully negotiating and working closely with many Syrian organizations: the Federation of Industrial Chambers, Union of Artisans, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Damascus. This means that previously signed agreements are filled with practical content.

The President of the CCI recalled that in the fall of 2018, the chamber organized an exhibition and sale of products of representatives of the Union of Artisans of Syria, which caused great interest among the residents of the republic. The President of Abkhazia Raul Khadjimba took part in this event.

- We are ready to organize a larger fair. We are also waiting for colleagues from Syria by the end of the year to discuss the opening of the Syrian Trading House in Abkhazia”,- said Tamila Mertskhulava.

She spoke about the repair work in the building wh ere the Representative Office of the CCI and the Trading House of Abkhazia in Damascus will be opened.

“We hope that the presentation of the Trading House will take place in the first quarter of 2020, and we will be glad to see you at this event,” said Tamila Mertskhulava.

She emphasized that the main task of the CCI is to facilitate cooperation between entrepreneurs of Syria and Abkhazia. At the same time, an agreement on duty-free trade between countries will contribute to the establishment of business relations.

- Syria for us is not just a country that recognized the independence of Abkhazia. These are fraternal people and we must do everything to strengthen our relationship”,- believes Tamila Mertskhulava.

The President of the CCI of RA wished the Syrian people Victory, peace, well-being and prosperity.

At the end of the meeting, the parties exchanged souvenirs.

Further, the conversation continued in an informal setting.