Syrian trade fair shows road to recovery still strewn with debris of war

Syria’s government is showcasing its ambitions for economic recovery and engagement with foreign business at a trade fair, but glimpses of devastated districts nearby show how far off full-scale reconstruction remains. While companies from Syria’s allies Russia and Iran are present in numbers, others are sparse, deterred by Western sanctions and continued ostracism of Syria as it prepares to attack the last rebel bastion in a seven-year-old civil war. “Today the Syrian army forces have gained a lot of momentum … We think this year (the trade fair) will be very successful. A lot of companies that were not in Syria last year came,” said Samer al-Debs, head of the Damascus Chamber of Industry, as the fair opened on Thursday night. Read more here