Middle East and North Africa

Syria
Last reviewed: 23 March 2009

Country information

See entire profile

TRADE AND INVESTMENT WITH THE UK

UK/Syria trade:

(millions, sterling)

	2003 (Jan-Sept)	2004	2005	2006 (Jan-Sept)
UK exports:	82.0	88.6	104.4	83.0
UK imports	58.0	52.0	51.9	216.3

UK exports: Power generating machinery and equipment; general industry machinery and equipment; medicinal and pharmaceutical products; textile fibres and their wastes; and chemical materials and products.

UK imports: Petroleum, petroleum products and related wastes; articles of apparel and clothing accessories; textile fibres and their wastes; manufactures of metal; and general industrial machinery and equipment.

Cultural Relations with the UK

Recent Visits

Inward

Deputy Prime Minister Dardari visited the UK in November 2007, where he met the Foreign Secretary and Dr Kim Howells. Former Foreign Minister Farouk Shara'a has visited the UK on a number of occasions, most recently in October 2004 when he called on then Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and then FCO Minister Baroness Symons. President Bashar al-Assad visited the UK as a guest of government in December 2002. He called on the Prime Minister and the Queen.

Outward

In May 2007 the All-Party Parliamentary group on Syria visited the country. Then FCO Minister Baroness Symons visited Syria three times, twice in 2003 and again in June 2004. Also in June 2004, an All-Party Group of British Members of Parliament visited Syria. The Lord Mayor of London visited Syria in July 2003. He travelled with delegations from the Bank of England and the UK's private banking sector. During the visit he had a private audience with President Bashar al-Asad. The visit reinforced the need for economic and banking reforming in Syria and promoted the UK financial services industry and the City of London as useful partners to this end. The then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, visited Syria in October 2001.

UK Trade & Investment Country Profile: Syria