DAMASCUS, (SANA)-The diplomatic relations between Moscow and Damascus dates back to 1944 as the ties are characterized by friendly traditional, distinguished and firm nature for long years according to observers.

The strong cooperation in the economic field between Syria and the formerly Soviet Union had produced more than 80 projects such as Euphrates Dam, al-Baath and Tishreen stations for electricity power plants and about 2,000 kilometers of railways.

President Bashar al-Assad's visit to Moscow in 2005 had contributed to boosting and developing cooperation in various domains and in opening new prospects particularly in the trade and economic fields.

And as part of the visit of President al-Assad to Moscow in 2006 , the two sides agreed on the need for boosting the cooperation between them in the economic, trade, scientific and technical fields, and for giving the priority to the fields of power, irrigation, oil and gas exploration and transport.

The Syrian- Russian Businessmen Council opened last June a bureau in Damascus to facilitate and expand the trade exchange between the two countries.

Russia supplies Syria with oil and petroleum products which formed in 2007 a rate of 57,9 of the total Russian exports to Syria.

Russia imports from Syria food products and light industrial manufactures which formed in 2007 about 70% of the total Russian imports from Syria, while textiles products constituted 2,7 % and fibers 4,7 % of these imports.

Nawal / Zahra