Turkey and Syria signed a new memorandum of understanding on international road transport, reinstating direct land transportation between the two nations. The agreement revives the 2004 International Road Transport Agreement and was signed during the Global Transport Connectivity Forum in Istanbul.

Under the new deal, cargo will no longer need to be transferred to another vehicle at the border. Trucks will be able to cross directly, streamlining trade by reducing time and costs. The agreement also includes the launch of transit transport operations, providing overland routes from Turkey through Syria to Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and other Gulf countries.

Both nations will collaborate in freight and passenger transport and conduct mutual training programs. Uraloglu stated that this development will bolster regional trade and support the integration of the Middle Corridor with Gulf countries, following Syria’s transition to a new government earlier this year.