A series of bilateral transportation agreements were recently signed between Lebanon and Syria, Including a commercial shipment contract between the Lebanese MEA Company and the Syrian Arab Airways Corporation, reported Al-Hayat.
The two countries also initiated a $10 million program to restructure the Akari-Tripoli railway in order to connect the Lebanese port with the Syrian rail network. The Syrian Railways Public Authority is expected to execute this project over a 36-month period.
The signing of these contracts was attended by the Lebanese Minister of Transportation Najib Maqati and the Syrian Minister of Transportation Makram Ubaid, as well as representatives of the joint Lebanese-Syrian Transportation Commission,.
Earlier this month, Syria and Lebanon signed additional agreements regarding transport cooperation projects. These included the resurrecting of an old railway line along the Syrian coast as groundwork for a plan to re-open a Beirut-Damascus route through Rayaq. Reinstating the old railways will connect Lebanon with two major rail networks running from Europe to Iran via Jordan, Iraq and the Arab Gulf, the ministers stated.
The first Lebanese-Syrian agreement ever on aviation cooperation was also signed, allowing Middle East Airlines to operate out of Damascus and Syrian Arab Airlines to operate out of Beirut International Airport. — (MENA Report)
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
