Damascus, Nov 14: Giving an impetus to their bilateral ties, India and Syria will sign nine agreements ranging from agriculture to information technology during the three-day visit of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who arrives here late tonight. The two countries have also agreed to upgrade the joint trade committee to joint commission during the visit which marked the first substantive bilateral contact after President Bashar al-Assad came to power three years ago.
They will also sign an agreement covering literary activities between Sahitya Academy and the Arab Writers Union, Syria putting the multifaceted bilateral ties on an even keel, official sources told reporters.
The wide-ranging agreements aim to lift the bilateral trade which currently languishes at around USD 130 million, which is low compared to India's trade ties with the Gulf Arab states, though Syria's trade turnover with India is higher than its trade with Egypt.
Bureau Report