Joint Committee Established
Syria and Uzbekistan have signed a memorandum creating a joint economic and trade committee, giving their commercial ties a formal institutional framework. The agreement was reached during a visit by a Syrian economic delegation to Uzbekistan that began on 17 September 2026.
Economy Minister Nidal al-Shaar led the delegation and signed the memorandum with Uzbek Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Laziz Qudratov. The committee is meant to give the two governments a standing body to coordinate trade and investment.
Widening Trade Partners
The step reflects a strategy to broaden Syria's economic partnerships beyond a narrow set of markets. Officials highlighted room to lift Syrian exports in food, textiles, and pharmaceuticals, and to open new channels for trade and investment.
Diversifying partners has become a priority as Syria seeks fresh sources of goods, capital, and technical support for its industries. The delegation also explored ways for Uzbek firms to enter the Syrian market and for Syrian producers to reach Central Asian buyers.
Focus on Light Industry
Talks centered on light industries, including textiles, clothing, leather goods, and footwear, alongside the transfer of Uzbek manufacturing and export expertise. Both sides discussed forming direct business-to-business partnerships and establishing joint production lines.
Officials also raised support for digital transformation systems as part of the cooperation, aiming to modernize how the two countries trade and process transactions.
From Framework to Projects
The joint committee is meant to carry cooperation beyond declarations toward concrete investment projects. It is intended to give companies on both sides a standing channel to negotiate deals and coordinate trade without renegotiating terms from scratch each time.
Officials cast the memorandum as a first institutional step rather than a finished commercial arrangement, with specific projects and figures still to be defined in the months ahead as the committee begins its work.