Damascus strengthens its economic openness to Europe through the Berlin Gate
The Director of the Middle East and North Africa Department at the German Foreign Ministry, Clemens Hach, confirmed that the "Prospects for Syrian-German Economic Cooperation" forum hosted in Berlin on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, was an important milestone in the development of economic relations between the two countries, describing it as "very successful."
In a statement to the state-run SANA news agency, Hach explained that the forum came as a continuation of the visit of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to Germany and contributed to strengthening the economic dialogue between the two sides, pointing out that the presentations made by the Minister of Economy and Industry Nidal al-Shaar and the governor of the Central Bank of Syria, Abdul Qadir al-Hassan, reflected a "convincing" vision for the prospects of economic development in Syria.
Economic and Investment Offer
During the forum, the Syrian side focused on highlighting Syria's position as a "connecting point" between Europe and the Arab world, in addition to reviewing government measures aimed at facilitating the investment environment, stimulating trade, and attracting foreign companies, the German official said.
German companies also had the opportunity to learn about the practical steps Damascus is taking to support economic opening.
Banking cooperation under development
With regard to the financial sector, Hach noted that challenges remain, especially in the banking field, but described the visit of the governor of the Central Bank of Syria to the Bundesbank in Frankfurt as "of great importance", given its role in addressing technical obstacles and reactivating channels of financial cooperation.
Hach stressed that trade relations between Syria and Germany have "vast potential for growth," pointing out that the forum clearly showed that the German economy is "opening up to Syria," referring to the growing interest of German companies in the Syrian market, especially in the fields of reconstruction and infrastructure.
The forum is one of the fruits of President Al-Shara's visit to Germany
The forum comes weeks after President Ahmed al-Shara's visit to Germany in late March 2026 as a culmination of Syrian diplomacy's efforts aimed at activating economic openness between Syria, reactivating financial and banking channels, and enhancing cooperation with European monetary institutions, foremost of which is the German Federal Bank, in a way that contributes to facilitating financial transfers and relinking the Syrian banking system to the international system, in addition to seeking to attract European investments and offer reconstruction opportunities, within the framework of a broader trend to gradually reintegrate the Syrian economy in global markets.
The forum discussed the prospects of Syrian-German economic cooperation, opportunities for economic cooperation, and the development of trade relations, and was an opportunity to activate and develop previous Syrian-German agreements, especially the cooperation agreement with Siemens in the field of electricity generation, which culminated in the signing of new understandings, with preparations for the launch of the Syrian-German Joint Economic Committee soon, which will start its work immediately through multiple tracks, including investment, technology transfer, as well as social and developmental aspects.