He recalled that the foreign ministers of the four nations had decided during a meeting on June 10 to set up a “high-level quartet cooperation council” to strengthen the existing cooperation, develop long-term strategic partnership and solidarity, and further improve economic integration. They also decided to establish a zone among the four countries where there is free movement of products and people, which reminded many of the foundation of the European Union.
In line with the targets in question, a four-way meeting took place in İstanbul on Saturday. Çağlayan hosted the meeting, which was attended by Syrian Economy and Trade Minister Lamia Assi, Jordanian Minister of Industry and Trade Amir al-Hadidi and Lebanese Economy and Trade Minister Mohammad Safadi. The participants decided to establish the Close Neighbors Economic and Trade Partnership Council (CNETAC).
The minister said in the statement that the attending countries discussed alternatives towards the target of achieving economic integration. “We have agreed to hold a CNETAC ministerial meeting in the Syrian capital city of Damascus in December.
We also decided to establish a committee comprising the authorized representatives of the relevant countries to sketch a roadmap and to determine priorities regarding areas of cooperation. This committee will have its first meeting in September in Amman,” the statement read.
“With this close cooperation, our goal is to increase and diversify trade and investments among the four countries by creating a liberal trade and investment environment with a modern infrastructure at the international level, free from all tariff and non-tariff barriers, encompassing a geography feeding a population of 105 million and, as of 2009, having a combined gross domestic product [GDP] of $723 billion, imports amounting to $176 billion and exports to $131 billion,” the minister said.
