Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Damascus, SANA-The Budget and Accounts Committee at the People’s Assembly on Sunday discussed the Information Ministry’s 2017 investment budget which was set at SYP 7.988 billion.
The members of the Committee called for supporting the media centers in the provinces, expanding rehabilitating and training of media staffs and employing graduates of the Faculty of Media.
For his part, Minister of Information Ramez Turjman affirmed that the ministry works on implementing a new vision to upgrade the performance of the media so as to enhance citizens’ confidence in local media outlets.
He pointed out that the ministry also seeks to increase the training and rehabilitation programs through the Media Training Institute and the agreement with the Ministry of Culture for the establishment of the Higher Cinematic Arts Institute.
In turn, SANA Director General Ahmad Dawa said that an interactive channel for SANA’s website will be launched soon in English, Spanish and Arabic relying on the agency’s cadres and competencies.
Budget and Accounts Committee discusses 2017 budgets of Foreign and Expatriates Ministry
Earlier, the Committee discussed the Investment Budget of the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry for the Year 2017.
Members of the Committee discussed the situations of the Syrian expatriates abroad and means of coordinating their activities with the Ministry, and studying the possibility of appointing trade & commercial attaché for the Syrian embassies, in addition to opening new gates for exporting the Syrian products.
For his part, Assistant Foreign and Expatriates Minister Ayman Sousan said that the Ministry has worked on upgrading the diplomatic performance through qualifying the required cadres.
Answering a question on appointing a commercial attaché for the Syrian embassies, Sousan said that there are huge efforts for enhancing the notion of the economic diplomacy with the friendly countries which have stood by Syria during the current crisis, adding that these countries will have the priority to participate in the reconstruction process along with the national companies.
He added that the Syrian embassies have been directed to hold many of the economic activities and economic forums in the friendly countries and with businessmen and chambers of commerce to study the needs of the foreign market of the local Syrian products which could be exported.
He indicated that the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry has activated the expatriates committees to attract the Syrian expatriates abroad, to take care of their issues and to follow up any complaint by any foreign missions or any Syrian expatriate.
R.J/Ghossoun/Manar/Manal
