Transport Minister Yarub Badr discussed with World Bank Regional Director for the Middle East Jean-Christophe Carret ways to enhance cooperation between Syria and the World Bank in the fields of railway transport and sustainable transport.  During the meeting held at the ministry’s building in Damascus on Sunday, the two sides reviewed means of supporting and developing the transport sector in Syria, focusing on the need to develop the skills of human cadres working in the field.  The two sides agreed to allocate $50 million to support vital projects, including providing financing to purchase 15 new locomotives, while a study is underway on maintaining the existing locomotives.  They also reviewed the phosphate transport corridor project and the importance of reassessing its economic feasibility to determine the necessary financial estimates and clarify the related figures to ensure its sustainability and effective development.  Badr stressed the importance of continued cooperation with the World Bank in implementing infrastructure-related projects, noting that such cooperation contributes to accelerating Syria’s economic recovery.  For his part, Carret expressed the World Bank’s readiness to support development projects and highlighted the importance of a sustainable partnership between the bank and Syria.  At the end of the meeting, the two sides agreed to hold a technical meeting next week to follow up on the discussed points and accelerate joint work between Syria and the World Bank in the mentioned fields.  The talks come as a continuation of discussions held last week via video conference between Minister Badr and officials from the World Bank’s transport sector on the readiness of the railway system and the phosphate railway corridor project and its economic and strategic dimensions. (ICE BEIRUT)

Fonte notizia: Syrian Arab News Agency