Syrian economy recovering from war, sanctions

Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi said country’s economy is being recovered from nearly collapsing because of the ongoing war and economic sanctions imposed by the western countries. Speaking at the People's Assembly al-Halqi said on Sunday that, "The Syrian economy has started to recover and the production process was launched in preparation for the reconstruction stage," Al-Alam reported. Al-Halqi clarified that the government is making progress, in collaboration with the reconciliation committee of the People's Assembly and civil society figures and clergymen, in achieving national reconciliation in different levels. "The Syrians are going forward to achieve their national solutions far from the calculations of the others," al-Halqi added. He pointed out that his visit to Homs added value to other tours in several provinces due to the strategic importance achieved by the Syrian state in regaining control over the old city of Homs as it is an important stage in the process of national reconciliation. "We are going to rebuild Homs and Syria, rebuild everything sabotaged by the terrorists… and we are going to build the human being through rebuilding the values of amity, peace, fraternity and the united family," al-Halaqi said. The prime minister pointed out that the government is completing procedures to ensure the requirements of the election process inside and outside the homeland to achieve transparency, honesty and neutrality from all candidates. He stressed that Syrian people are the source of legitimacy and they have the right to choose their president with no foreign interference. Syria sank into war in March 2011 when pro-reform protests turned into a massive insurgency following the intervention of western and regional states. The unrest, which took in terrorist groups from across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, has transpired as one of the bloodiest conflicts in recent history.