Syria Launches Unified Charter for Joint Business Councils

The Syrian Council for Coordinating Joint Business Councils officially launched the Operational Charter of Syrian Joint Business Councils along with an executive guide for council presidents and founders on Tuesday, 2 June 2026. The initiative aims to establish a unified institutional framework governing the work of Syrian joint business councils in their economic relations with partner countries.

Launch Context and Official Attendance

The announcement was made during an event held at the Damascus Conference Palace, on the sidelines of the National Conference for Syrian Private Sector Dialogue. The event was attended by government ministers and officials, ambassadors of several countries, business council presidents, and private sector representatives.

Legislative Framework

The new system is grounded in Ministerial Decree No. 25 issued by the Ministry of Economy and Industry, which established the Syrian Council for Coordinating Joint Business Councils as the official supervisory and coordinating body for bilateral councils. It also draws on Presidential Decree No. 9 of 2025 and the bylaws governing Syrian joint business councils with countries worldwide.

The charter serves as the governing reference for the principles and boundaries of council operations, while the guide sets out the procedural steps for council presidents across the stages of establishment, operation, and follow-up.

Objectives of the Framework

The Syrian Joint Business Councils operate around several core objectives, including:

• Increasing Syrian export volumes.
• Attracting foreign investment and economic partnerships.
• Securing business opportunities for Syrian companies in international markets.
• Raising the efficiency and international profile of the Syrian private sector.
• Transforming individual economic relationships into structured, measurable institutional engagement.

Official Statements

Minister of Economy and Industry Nidal Al-Shaar stated that the charter forms part of the government's drive to rebuild its economic instruments on more mature institutional foundations, with the aim of making joint business councils an organized channel serving national economic priorities, including export promotion, investment attraction, and market access for Syrian companies.

For his part, the president of the Syrian Council for Coordinating Joint Business Councils, Ahmad Rawad Ramadan, noted that operating within a unified national framework gives the private sector a more coherent institutional voice before partner countries, and helps convert individual economic ties into organized, assessable economic engagement.

Bilateral Councils Established

In a related development, the Minister of Economy issued three decrees in March 2026 establishing the Syrian-Dutch, Syrian-Spanish, and Syrian-Kuwaiti business councils on the Syrian side. Projections indicate that the network of Syrian joint business councils could expand to no fewer than 62 bilateral councils in the coming phase.