Still definitely evil, but so much better suited to govern than ISIS or Al Qaeda v.1. Interview transcript can be read at the link.
[Rudaw] Syria is ramping up efforts to revitalize its port infrastructure and border operations, securing major investment deals with global logistics giants, a bigwig from the General Authority for Land and Sea Border Crossings told Rudaw. However,it's easy to be generous with someone else's money...
significant challenges persist at land border crossings, particularly in areas outside full government control.
In a Tuesday interview, Mazen Alloush, Director of Public Relations at the General Authority, highlighted recent progress in attracting global logistics players. He noted that French shipping giant CMA CGM and Dubai-based logistics firm DP World are now involved in long-term development projects for Latakia and Tartous ports, respectively.
CMA CGM recently secured a 30-year concession for Latakia Port involving an estimated investment of $260 million, while DP World’s 30-year concession for Tartous Port is valued at approximately $800 million.
Alloush mentioned ongoing efforts "with another major international operator" regarding "a new port operation agreement [that] is expected to be signed in the coming weeks," and pointed to plans to develop the Baniyas Port, "currently used only for oil shipments, into a commercial port soon."
The General Authority also oversees ten Free Zones across Syria. According to Alloush, there are "extensive investment plans" in place to modernize and expand these zones into "internationally competitive hubs."
Regarding Syria’s land border crossings, Alloush confirmed that 11 out of approximately 20 are currently operational. These include six crossings with
...just another cheapjack Moslem dictatorship, brought to you by the Moslem Brüderbund...
, three with Leb
...The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else?..., one with Jordan, and one with Iraq. He mentioned plans to reactivate additional crossings, including the al-Tanf-al-Waleed crossing with Iraq and the al-Dabbousiyah crossing with Lebanon.
Border traffic has also increased significantly. "From the beginning of the year until today, we have received over five million travelers through our border crossings - three million arrivals and two million departures," Alloush stated.
Despite these developments, he acknowledged the ongoing challenge posed by border crossings located in northeastern Syria (Rojava), particularly in areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
However,
it's easy to be generous with someone else's money...
he expressed optimism that the implementation of the key March 10 agreement - signed between Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi to integrate civil and military institutions in Rojava under state control - "will allow us to assume control" and have all border crossings "be under unified national administration."
Alloush also addressed the Semalka border crossing with the Kurdistan Region, calling it "our most strategic crossing," through which "a large volume of goods enters Syria." He further pointed to communication between the Syrian foreign ministry and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) regarding management and coordination of the crossing’s operations.