Turkey, Syria to sign a host of cooperation agreements

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to pay an official visit to Syria on December 22-23, the Foreign Ministry announced yesterday. The statement said Erdogan will travel to Damascus to attend the first prime ministerial-level meeting of Turkey-Syria High Level Starategic Cooperation, chaired by Erdogan and his Syrian counterpart Naji al-Otri. About a dozen cabinet ministers from both countries will also attend. As part of the meeting, a number of agreements, protocols and memorandums of understanding aimed at fostering bilateral ties in various areas, including further improving bilateral trade, will be signed as well. The two countries also intend to improve their cooperation in the joint fight against terrorism.