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Syria: Euro-Arab Conference on support to SMEs seeks to strengthen ties

Global Arab Network - - John Short

Friday, 19 February 2010 15:41

Syria_Euro-Arab_Conference_on_support_to_SMEs

According to an EU Delegation, A Euro-Arab Conference to Support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) will be held in the Syrian capital Damascus from 20 to 22 February 2010 with the objective of strengthening ties and existing partnerships between European and Arab nations in the SME sector.

The event, held under patronage of the Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Naji Otri and the Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Moussa, aims to achieve maximum benefit from the existing programmes and funds launched by governments of both sides for the purpose of assisting SMEs in development and rehabilitation.

This initiative, which is partially financed by the European Union, aims to strengthen ties and existing partnerships between European and Arab nations in the SME sector and to achieve maximum benefit from the existing programmes and funds launched by governments of both sides for the purpose of assisting SMEs in development and rehabilitation.

H.E. Mr. Mohammed bin Yusuf, the General Director of AIDMO, Dr. Rateb Shallah, SEBC President and H.E. Mr. Vassilis Bontosoglou, Ambassador, Head of the European Union Delegation to Syria are participating in the conference, in addition to representatives of the Secretariat of the Arab League, the Secretariat of the Arab Council of Economic Unity, representatives of Arab and European organizations, and a selection of Arab and European businessmen.

Dr. Rateb Shallah, SEBC President emphasized the importance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as they are the backbone of industrial development worldwide in terms of its importance in economic and social development, their positive influence in creating new jobs and reducing unemployment, and their effective contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth.

The conference will be followed by bilateral meetings between the participated agencies and companies in order to get potential advantage of the tools offered by funders participating to enable them to have joint industrial investment projects.

The conference is organised in collaboration with the Syrian Enterprise and Business Centre (SEBC) /SME Support Programme (SSP) and the Arab Industrial development and Mining Organization (AIDMO) and will gather over 400 participants among which representatives of the Secretariat of the Arab League, the Secretariat of the Arab Council of Economic Unity, representatives of Arab and European organizations, and a selection of Arab and European businessmen, in addition to 30 professional participants from both Arab and European countries who will present work papers.

The Syrian Enterprise & Business Centre (SEBC) is in large measure a European-style Syrian managed business institution with roots stretching back to the first EU programme implemented in Syria after the Barcelona Declaration, namely the Syrian-European Business Centre (1996-2006). The SEBC is currently implementing various EU-funded Programmes such as:

• The Trade Enhancement Programme: a €15 million programme which has a strong component on customs facilitation and streamlining of trade-related legislation.
• The Business Environment Simplification Programme: a €5 million programme which aims to achieve a drastic simplification of the regulatory and administrative procedures for doing business.
• The Strengthening Quality Management, Capabilities and Infrastructures programme, which aims at assisting the Syrian government in building up a modern quality infrastructure, in order to protect consumers from unsafe products and increase international trade.
• The SME Support Programme
The €15 million EU-funded SME Support Programme focuses assistance on six areas:

• The efficiency and competitiveness of SMEs are improved,
• Local consultancy business development services are enhanced,
• Access to and choice of medium and long-term finance for SMEs facilitated,
• Access to information on export market opportunities facilitated,
• Strengthened SME support institution,
• Policies to strengthen and support the private sector formulated.

The Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization (AIDMO) works within the strategy of Arab common economic action initiated by the Arab summit conferences. Its major objective is to ensure Arab industrial co-ordination and integration, contribute to the development and promotion of the Arab economy and its support in the fields of industry, energy, mining and standardization with a view to strengthening its productivity, quality and competitiveness, plan for the support and elaboration of local, national and regional industrial projects and to encourage investment in mining and industry in the Arab world and promote technical, technological and industrial co-operation among Arab states, and with foreign developed and developing countries.

Global Arab Network

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