Pakistan and Syria Agree to Boost Bilateral Trade and Institutional Engagement.
✧ GENERATE BRIEFING +
Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan met with a high level delegation led by Syrian Foreign Minister H.E. Asaad Hassan al Shaibani in Islamabad to discuss expanding bilateral trade and the economic cooperation. Jam Kamal Khan outlined Pakistan's export potential across key sectors including textiles, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and IT and proposed reactivating the Pakistan Syria Joint Ministerial Commission, establishing the virtual business matchmaking, and sending a trade delegation to Damascus. Foreign Minister al Shaibani briefed the Pakistani officials on Syria's post conflict reconstruction priorities, highlighting the real estate, energy, infrastructure, and transport as strategic focus areas. To translate the goodwill into concrete economic activity, al Shaibani proposed forming a Pakistan Syria Joint Business Council and hosting a joint investment forum in Damascus, supported by an upcoming visit from the Syria's Ministry of Economy.
Foreign Minister of the Syrian Arab Republic, H.E. Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, accompanied by a high-level delegation, visited the Ministry of Commerce and held a meeting with Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan.
Jam Kamal Khan warmly received the Syrian Foreign Minister and his delegation and extended cordial greetings on their first visit to Pakistan. He said Pakistan greatly valued its longstanding, brotherly relations with Syria, rooted in shared history, culture, and mutual respect.
The Commerce Minister expressed solidarity with the people of Syria and conveyed condolences over the loss of lives and hardships endured during the prolonged conflict. He also expressed his best wishes for Syria’s peace, stability, reconstruction, and long-term prosperity.
Jam Kamal Khan briefed the Syrian Foreign Minister on Pakistan’s diverse economic and export potential, particularly in textiles and apparel, pharmaceuticals, leather, sports goods, food processing, rice and other agricultural products, light engineering, information technology, cosmetics, and value-added products.
He said the complementary strengths of the two economies offered considerable scope for mutually beneficial cooperation. He emphasized the importance of greater interaction between the private sectors of Pakistan and Syria to explore trade, investment, and joint-venture opportunities.
H.E. Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani briefed the Commerce Minister on Syria’s reconstruction and development priorities. He highlighted the resilience of the Syrian people and the progress being made in restoring essential infrastructure and public services.
The Syrian Foreign Minister identified housing, real estate, energy, transportation, seaports, agriculture, industry, and human-resource development as promising areas for cooperation. He noted that the existing volume of bilateral trade did not reflect the true potential of the two countries and stressed the need for sustained institutional and business engagement.
H.E. Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani proposed establishing a Pakistan–Syria Joint Business Council to facilitate direct interaction between the business communities of the two countries. He also proposed convening a joint investment forum in Damascus, bringing together representatives from the private and public sectors of Pakistan and Syria.
The Syrian Foreign Minister informed Jam Kamal Khan that a delegation from Syria’s Ministry of Economy, which also oversees trade and industry, would visit Pakistan to further explore opportunities for bilateral cooperation.
Jam Kamal Khan proposed close coordination between the relevant trade authorities of the two countries to identify priority sectors and prepare a practical roadmap for cooperation. He also suggested arranging virtual meetings between Pakistani and Syrian businesses ahead of in-person engagements to facilitate focused and productive business matchmaking.
The Commerce Minister further proposed reviving the Pakistan–Syria Joint Ministerial Commission and its relevant Joint Working Groups to provide a structured institutional framework for advancing cooperation across various sectors.
He also underscored the importance of activating the existing framework between the chambers of commerce of the two countries through regular exchanges, business delegations, and business-to-business engagements.
Jam Kamal Khan expressed Pakistan’s willingness to explore sending a trade and business delegation to Syria. He also conveyed Pakistan’s interest in strengthening its trade representation and institutional presence in Syria in the future.
Referring to the historical and cultural connections between Syria and Pakistan, particularly Balochistan, Jam Kamal Khan noted that historical accounts and traditions point to ancestral links between the Baloch people and Syria. He said these shared historical bonds further enriched the longstanding brotherly relations between the peoples of Pakistan and Syria.
Both ministers reaffirmed their shared resolve to deepen Pakistan–Syria relations and agreed to maintain close coordination for translating the existing goodwill into concrete progress in trade, investment, and economic cooperation.
