TEHRAN – Iran and Syria signed an agreement for joint manufacturing of passenger cars, Fars news agency reported.

The agreement was signed by Iranian Minister of Labor, Cooperatives and Social Welfare Mohammad Shariatmadari and Syrian Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Rima al-Qadiri on Wednesday in Tehran.

Based on the agreement, an Iranian sedan, branded as Shaam, the Arabic word for Levant, will be jointly manufactured with Syria.

In the signing ceremony in Tehran, al-Qadiri said some Iranian vehicles are currently being assembled in the Arab country, reassuring that industrial cooperation between Tehran and Damascus will increase in the post-war era.

“Although our car factories have sustained serious damage in the war, since the end of the war we have been endeavoring to help them restore their production to let Syria keep manufacturing vehicles. Currently, the production line for the Iranian car, Shaam, is working,” the Syrian official said on the sidelines of the ceremony.

“We are hopeful to see the Syrian nation’s final victory to restore jobs and employment in the country,” al-Qadiri added.

Iran is the major car maker in the Middle East region, and the country has many joint plants with other countries of the world.

In her visit to Tehran, al-Qadiri also held talks with Iran’s Transport Minister Mohammad Eslami and discussed economic relations, the ministry’s portal reported.

In the meeting the two sides underlined the positive political and economic relations between the two countries and called for further expansion of trade ties.

They also discussed some of the agreements reached during the two countries’ 14th joint economic committee meeting.

Mentioning Iran’s significant role in Syria’s political stability and independence, al-Qadiri noted that Iran has a great share in Syria’s recent victories.

In late June, the portal of Iran’s ministry of cooperatives, labor, and social welfare reported that Iran is going to provide Syria with technical training and support regarding the labor market policies and rehabilitation of rural employment.

As reported, Shariatmadari met with Rima al-Qadiri on the sidelines of the 108th Session of the International Labor Conference (ILO) in Geneva and expressed the country’s readiness regarding the matter.

In that meeting, Shariatmadari also underlined the importance of Syria’s reconstruction for Iran and voiced the country’s readiness for cooperation in this regard and pointed to his ministry’s capacities and capabilities in realizing this goal.

Al-Qadiri for her part, expressed her gratitude for Iran’s efforts in supporting Syria and called for further support regarding work force training, educating labor market policies and job creation in Syria.

EF/MA

PHOTO: Iran’s Transport Minister Mohammad Eslami (right) held talks with Syrian Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Rima al-Qadiri (middle) in Tehran on Wednesday.