GP 051109 cleared by Syrian MOT

Syrian Arabic Republic: Syrian-French transport cooperation

Road map after the common declaration on November 2, 2009

Established after meetings with the minister of Transport (03/11/09)

and the mayor of Aleppo (04/11/09)

  1. The Syrian minister of Transport confirmshis orientation to achieve a national urban transport strategy. The first way is a national working program:

-(i) to launch asap a socio-economic study, with for example the consultants in charge of a similar approach for the WB (rural roads);

-(ii) to allow a joint presentation (for both the minister of Transport and the minister of local administration) of the results of a MAM urban transport study in six Syrian cities.It could be fine to manage this event during the next AFD mission to Syria, on December 6-8, 2009;

-(iii) National urban transport workshops:the minister of Transport prefers a intense reflexion week, with workshops for every topics. These workshops could be obviously a good preparation of the regional urban transport conference, to be located in Damascus, next April. Taht’s the reason why the schedule could be end February or beginning march. The French ministry in charge of transport (MEEDDM, i.e.: GP + CERTU) will prepare draft concept notes for each topic. May be, we’ll have to manage a specific mission before;

-(iv) technical study tours: the AFD proposal to manage a study tour to Turkey (Istanbul, Gaziantep) is wellcomed for a 4/5 people delegation (from MOT, governorates, municipalities,…): if possible beginning 2010? in the same spirit, we have to think a trip to France (Lyon, Dijon ou Besançon, or Nantes or Bordeaux), latest in summer 2010. More specifically, the minister request a study tour for Damascan officials, to see BRT or bus lanes experiences experiences (Paris, Nantes or Lyon): January 2010?Gilles Pipien’s suggestion is hte Syrian authorities take in charge the flys, and French part all local expenses (accomodations, lunchs, local transports,...).

-(v) regional conférence April 2010: the Syrian minister of Transport confirms, the Syrian authorities will take care, and in charge, the organisation and the expenses forlocal arrangements: all for Syrian attenders, conference room, translations, local transports, ...) , hte internaional part will take in charge all for international speakers (flights, accomodations, ...). All is to be confirmed in details, when Xavierr Hoang, AFD, will come to Syria, for his next mission (December 6-8, 2009). It’s really urgent to book rooms and conference room. The next steering committee will be located in Spohia Antipolis, on November 24, and the MOT will be reprensented by eng.Faten Zreik;

-Glossary: regarding all the other actions, the launch for this topic will be done by Blue Plan (UNEP) on April, (14 or 15?)2010, just after the regional conference.

  1. For the local actions and experiences, to improve methods, with the idea to disseminate at national level, we think more particularly at Aleppo, Lattakia and Homs:
  • (i) Aleppo: a real model. We just have a lot of informations and datas: master plan, CDS, traffic managementb study (SITRAM 2006), automatic cross regulation project, …If needed, for a Syrian consultant, we have in mind Dr. Ryad Muhammad. The two main issues are: a urban transport planning; traffic management concrete operations.The mayor of Aleppo is very interested in the urban transport planning exercise, and has confirm the inscription, in the 2010 budget of the Aleppo municipality, of euros 50,000. The city to city cooperationwtih Lyon will help a lot.Dr.Maan Chibli will go to Lyon on December 5-7, 2009.He will sign a cooperation agreement, and participate at a technical meeting to launch the urban transport planning program.The minister of Transport will be repensented in that project by eng.Faten Zreik.
  • (ii) In Lattakia, the main issues are in traffic management (city center) in public transport (bus, mini bus) network. Marseille sis ready for a city to city cooperation.The minister of Transport got immediatly in touch with the mayor of Lattakia. The minister of Transport will be repensented in that project by eng.Faten Zreik.
  • (iii) Homs: Xavier Hoang, AFD, will visit the governor of Homs on December 5, 2009.The CEO of the GC urban transport of Homs will be part of the visit..
  1. For the Lattakia institute, the two goals are: studies (and not expertise: this word is not appropriate) and research. If we could say: an hybrid of CERTU and INRETS. The minister of Transport is looking forward a new INRETS (Dr. D. Fleury) mission, end of November.This mission could precise the working program to launch the institute. A CERTU representative could be wellcomed. This institute, as a MOT scientific and technical tool, will be located in Lattakia, but not inside the university. Its scientific committee will be cochaired by the ministers in charge of Transport and High level Education. It will use the scientific resources of all the Syrian universities. It will, for example, provide books, recommandation guides, datas, …
  2. A great number of studies exists on logistical corridors (i.e. ISMF multimodal or SNCF FASEP study) but, the real need is now to point the priorities. The key question is where the Syrian government has to focuse its efforts and investments? Port modernisation? Railways upgrading? Administrativ processes? Software?... We need an urgent audit and concrete evaluation, by high level experts, to highlight the bottle necks in the logistical process from Lattakia to Iraq.Gilles Pipien informs, the MEEDDM will manage a technical inside meeting with experts on December 2009, to prepare afirst mission, beginning 2010. Results and recommandations will be discussed jointly in a Syrian-French working group. IEB or other intitutions experts will be wellcomed.
  3. Finally, we agreed the general cooperation project management; with a high level review meeting every six months (first on April 15, 2010?); the clarification of counterparts for each topic; the funding arrangement (France will pay for salaries and flights of its experts; Syria providing local accomodations and transports).A cleared working agenda is attached. The mission report (October 16-23, 2009) will be finalised and officially sent by the French direction for international relations (DAEI) of the french MEEDDM middle November.

Official version of this paper was established in French by Gilles Pipien and cleared by the Syrian minister of Transport, on November 5, 2009

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