Tehran,(SANA)-Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdullah al-Dardari inspected on Tuesday, during the visit he and the accompanying delegation paid to a number of industrial facilities and important developmental projects in the Iranian city of Isfahan, the mechanism of work at the facilities and ways to benefit from the Iranian expertise in the iron and steel industries and relevant industries.

During a trade symposium in Isfahan, the two sides discussed ways of enhancing cooperation in joint investment and raising trade exchange between the two countries.

The two sides also affirmed the importance of laying out a long-term strategy for cooperation through identifying joint vital and strategic projects to achieve development and sidestep the economic crises plaguing the world.

Earlier, al-Dardari discussed with Assistant Iranian President for Strategic Planning and Supervision Amir Mansour Barqai means of enhancing bilateral cooperation between Syria and Iran in the economic, commercial and service spheres, along with upgrading that cooperation to match the distinguished political relations between the two friendly countries. The two sides underlined the importance of the Iranian gas pipeline to Syria passing through Iraq to the Mediterranean and Europe, and the necessity of diligent work to raise trade volume between the two countries to 1 billion dollars.

They also asserted the need to find a long-term strategy that engenders heavy industries and varied projects in the petrochemicals, food industries, cement, iron, power plants and water drawing. Al-Dardari also said that it is important for the joint investment to be fruitful in a way that contributes to increasing the two countries' exports and to create job opportunities in Syria and Iran.

Manal Ismael/Idelbi