SYRIANNEWS — broadcast
20260806 013000 UTC
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[00:00:00] Raised head, congratulations
[00:00:02] one country where there are many it will indeed to Syria. This is what we expect from the outcome
[00:00:05] of the blessed Syrian revolution. Yes, then congratulations to all employees
[00:00:08] who were laid off and their return to
[00:00:12] their workplaces. And all thanks to you
[00:00:16] for being with us today, Professor Ali Al-Hamad, Director of Public
[00:00:19] number of them, for sure. How Relations at the Ministry of Local Administration and Environment. Thank you
[00:00:27] an official partner to this crimes does not very much.
[00:00:34] The Syrian Electricity Company signed three
[00:00:37] agreements with Al-Haraf Saudi
[00:00:42] data and verifying Contracting Company to implement solar energy projects in the Wadi Al-Rabi’a area in the
[00:00:46] Damascus countryside, as part of efforts to increase reliance on renewable
[00:00:50] energy sources. The agreements include
[00:00:53] the establishment of solar energy stations with a total capacity
[00:00:56] of 760 megawatts.
[00:01:00] watts, supported by battery storage systems
[00:01:04] with a capacity of up to 1077
[00:01:07] megawatts, in completion of cooperation between
[00:01:10] the two sides after the memorandum of understanding signed in
[00:01:14] February last year
[00:01:20] or the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, of civilian victims to implement whether similar projects.
[00:01:22] In a step aimed at enhancing electricity production and expanding
[00:01:25] reliance on renewable energy sources, Al-Souk
[00:01:29] Electricity Company signed with Al-Haraf Saudi
[00:01:32] Contracting Company three agreements to implement
[00:01:35] new projects in the field of solar energy.
[00:01:38] The agreements
[00:01:41] Syria. Also, on include the establishment of solar energy stations in the Wadi Al-Rabi’a area in the
[00:01:44] Damascus countryside with a total capacity of
[00:01:47] 760 megawatts, supported
[00:01:50] by battery energy storage
[00:01:52] with chemical weapons on systems with a capacity of 177
[00:01:55] megawatts. Coinciding with the signing of the agreements, the
[00:01:59] Minister of Energy, Engineer Muhammad Al-Bashir, held a meeting
[00:02:03] with a Saudi delegation that included officials from the Saudi
[00:02:06] Ministry of Energy and Al-Haraf Saudi Company, as well as the Acting
[00:02:10] Chargé d'Affaires of the Kingdom of Saudi
[00:02:12] Arabia in Damascus. The two sides discussed
[00:02:16] investment opportunities in the electricity sector and mechanisms
[00:02:19] to expand the participation of Saudi companies in renewable energy
[00:02:23] projects and electrical infrastructure,
[00:02:27] in addition to discussing the necessary legal
[00:02:30] and regulatory requirements to develop
[00:02:33] the electricity system in Syria and raise the efficiency of the
[00:02:36] national grid and enhance reliance on clean
[00:02:39] energy sources. This cooperation comes within the efforts
[00:02:42] of the two countries to enhance investment partnerships
[00:02:46] and support efforts to rehabilitate the electricity sector, which
[00:02:49] contributes to improving the reliability of the electrical grid
[00:02:52] and driving the wheel of development. It is worth noting
[00:02:55] that the General Organization for Transmission and Distribution of Electricity had
[00:02:59] signed in February last year a memorandum of understanding
[00:03:02] with Al-Haraf Saudi
[00:03:04] intermittent, and we are keen Contracting Company to implement a solar energy project
[00:03:08] with a capacity of 210 megawatts, supported
[00:03:11] by an energy storage system with a capacity
[00:03:17] What is the importance of this of 827 megawatts per hour.
[00:03:21] And about that, Dr. Mussab Shabib, an expert in the field of energy, joins us from Aleppo.
[00:03:24] Welcome, Doctor
[00:03:28] with Mussab. So, the importance of these agreements that were signed today between the Syrian Electricity
[00:03:32] Company and Al-Haraf Saudi
[00:03:35] Contracting Company. Good evening, Ms. Nadia,
[00:03:38] and Professor Ammar, and all dear
[00:03:42] Thank you for this viewers. The importance of these agreements is twofold. First, building
[00:03:45] integration with the Arab energy
[00:03:48] system and attracting investments. The Kingdom of Saudi
[00:03:51] Arabia represents a safety valve for all countries. This
[00:03:56] to our program this is not the first agreement, this is the fourth.
[00:03:59] Saudi companies were preceded
[00:04:02] by an agreement with
[00:04:05] viewers this ADES company, and also with ACWA Power company,
[00:04:07] and also with Saudi
[00:04:10] and we start SDC company. The second aspect
[00:04:13] of the truth of any agreement in the electrical energy
[00:04:16] system is not the number of megawatts,
[00:04:19] but rather how much I save
[00:04:21] these people? Thank you very much, the public
[00:04:23] Professor Ammar, for this treasury. and technologies. In this field, we are talking about
[00:04:27] an average of 45 million dollars annually
[00:04:31] in current liquidity using traditional
[00:04:34] generation. Also, in the field
[00:04:38] of waste or gaseous emissions,
[00:04:41] about 250 thousand tons of CO2
[00:04:45] will be eliminated annually.
[00:04:49] So, notice that the matter actually has investment
[00:04:52] aspects, it has economic aspects, and it has
[00:04:55] health and
[00:04:58] environmental aspects.
[00:05:02] We are pleased today The issue of clean energy, especially with Saudi companies that have a great track record in
[00:05:05] solar energy and BMS systems for
[00:05:09] batteries, or
[00:05:15] all these matters actually establish,
[00:05:18] I mean, all these agreements and every agreement
[00:05:20] will be attractive and will also be attractive
[00:05:24] to other agreements that will be built
[00:05:27] upon them, so that solar energy systems in
[00:05:31] Syria become an investment incubator and not only
[00:05:35] for securing
[00:05:52] Syria, the Syrian environment in Syria, actually
[00:05:55] supportive of such
[00:05:58] projects, and how can
[00:06:02] we expand these projects until
[00:06:06] we reach not only self-sufficiency, but perhaps
[00:06:09] export energy to other countries?
[00:06:15] After a year, God willing, it will start exporting electricity.
[00:06:18] What does this mean?
[00:06:21] Syria is now, regarding solar
[00:06:25] energy or renewable energy in general, it is actually
[00:06:28] very suitable, it is in the appropriate
[00:06:32] weather and the large number of hours
[00:06:35] across the four seasons.
[00:06:39] Also, in the matter of wind energy, there are some important points. Or some
[00:06:43] geographical locations, whether in areas in Homs
[00:06:47] or in the Qalamoun mountain ranges, or even in our
[00:06:50] mountains of Haren in northern
[00:06:53] the Syrian ports and coasts,
[00:06:57] it is possible in the future to build stations that operate in
[00:07:00] the field of hydropower and benefit
[00:07:03] from it. The investment incubator is important, plus
[00:07:07] Professor Ammar, we have competencies in Syria now. We have competencies
[00:07:10] that have gained experience in solar energy and solar
[00:07:14] energy systems. There are industrial cities. I will give you an example,
[00:07:18] Professor Ammar, we have the city of Al-Rai that is fully
[00:07:21] powered by solar energy, with partial
[00:07:24] and simple reliance on electricity from the Turkish side,
[00:07:27] and all with local expertise and Syrian
[00:07:31] investors. I also sat with one of them during the past
[00:07:34] few days. We also have companies, and they are
[00:07:38] truly with Syrian
[00:07:39] expertise.
[00:07:53] also agreements and partnerships
[00:07:56] with
[00:07:57] companies.
[00:08:02] I don't know if we can reconnect with Dr.
[00:08:25] you that there are Syrian companies being established now
[00:08:28] in the field of solar energy, and there are also Chinese experts participating
[00:08:32] in these companies. So, these are all
[00:08:36] investment incubators that are being established for partnerships
[00:08:40] Arab companies in the first place,
[00:08:44] and I believe that Saudi Arabia will be at the
[00:08:47] forefront, given the great experience that
[00:08:50] these companies have in the energy sector in general.
[00:09:01] about the expected impact of these projects
[00:09:04] on reducing reliance on traditional fuel.
[00:09:07] This
[00:09:10] agreement was
[00:09:13] agreed upon to be supported by storage systems,
[00:09:16] and usually solar energy systems are not,
[00:09:20] to that degree or primarily,
[00:09:22] dependent on this matter, but its dependence on storage
[00:09:26] energy means that even in bad weather
[00:09:29] conditions and low returns,
[00:09:33] this system will operate at its full efficiency
[00:09:36] and capacity. Also, technological
[00:09:39] expertise will be transferred. When such
[00:09:43] stations are built, and they will be at 400
[00:09:47] kilovolt points, meaning that they will feed the Syrian
[00:09:50] network, it is an investment project and not a project
[00:09:54] for a residential area, knowing that it will feed about
[00:09:57] half a million homes. So, it is an investment project with economic
[00:10:01] dimensions in localizing technology in this
[00:10:04] matter because these stations will be monitored
[00:10:07] by advanced SCADA systems completely.
[00:10:11] So, I believe that all these matters will all
[00:10:15] serve the interest of
[00:10:41] The Syrian permanent representative to the Organization for the Prohibition
[00:10:44] of Chemical Weapons, Dr. Muhammad Kattoub, confirmed
[00:10:48] that the impact of chemical
[00:10:50] end with the dissipation of toxic
[00:10:54] entrenched in the souls of the survivors and the families
[00:10:57] of the victims. Yes, on the anniversary of the targeting of Douma
[00:11:00] with sarin gas in August 2013,
[00:11:04] the Syrian permanent representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical
[00:11:07] Weapons stressed the need to stand by the survivors
[00:11:11] and the families of the victims and not forget their struggle for
[00:11:14] justice.
[00:11:19] 13 years have passed, and the details of that
[00:11:22] dark night are still etched in
[00:11:26] 13 years have passed, and the people of Douma have not forgotten
[00:11:30] the horrors they experienced when the former regime turned the city
[00:11:34] into a theater for one of the most horrific crimes after
[00:11:37] targeting it with toxic sarin gas, leaving hundreds
[00:11:42] and injured. Hospitals were overwhelmed with casualties,
[00:11:45] whose number reached about 400 people,
[00:11:48] most of whom were women and children, before warplanes returned
[00:11:52] to fly over the city, spreading panic among
[00:11:55] the residents who thought that a new attack was imminent.
[00:11:59] The last scene was even more brutal. Images
[00:12:03] documented hundreds of bodies. These painful scenes did not prevent
[00:12:07] the former regime from reusing this internationally prohibited
[00:12:10] weapon. Just two weeks after targeting Douma with sarin
[00:12:14] gas, it targeted the two Ghoutas
[00:12:17] August 21, 2013, and
[00:12:21] also committed two massacres in Khan Shaykhun in
[00:12:23] 2017. And in Douma in
[00:12:26] 2018, according to a joint investigation
[00:12:29] by the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition
[00:12:33] of Chemical Weapons. According to the Syrian permanent
[00:12:36] representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Muhammad Kattoub,
[00:12:40] the Douma attack was the 11th reported
[00:12:43] use of chemical weapons in Syria
[00:12:47] and the second on the same night, stressing that the effects of these
[00:12:50] crimes do not end with the dissipation of toxic
[00:12:53] gases, but remain entrenched in the souls of the survivors and the families
[00:12:56] of the victims, while their pursuit of truth,
[00:12:59] justice, and accountability continues. And today,
[00:13:03] after 13 years, Syrians remember
[00:13:07] that night with sorrow, but this memory
[00:13:10] is accompanied by hopes for completing the transitional
[00:13:13] justice process and holding
[00:13:15] those responsible for these crimes
[00:13:20] accountable. For more on this file, we have Professor Nidal Sheikhani, Director of the Syrian Center
[00:13:24] for Documenting Chemical Violations, joining us directly
[00:13:27] from Brussels. Welcome, Mr. Nidal,
[00:13:30] on Syrian News TV today. The confirmation of the Syrian
[00:13:34] permanent representative to the organization
[00:13:37] and his talk about these effects.
[00:13:42] matter for the victims
[00:13:45] of this massacre? I mean,
[00:13:48] which is, perhaps, thank God,
[00:13:52] it has passed and we have finished with this
[00:13:55] regime, but it is among
[00:14:07] hosting. In fact,
[00:14:10] today, on this
[00:14:11] anniversary,
[00:14:14] which is currently being worked on
[00:14:16] regarding
[00:14:19] the chemical weapons attack that occurred in the city of Douma
[00:14:22] on the fifth of May. Today, it is important
[00:14:26] for us to revive this memory and emphasize
[00:14:29] the importance of recalling these events
[00:14:33] as part of the collective memory, let's say,
[00:14:36] of Syrians. I mean, today, even in terms
[00:14:40] of the human rights record that civil organizations
[00:14:43] and international organizations have been working on
[00:14:47] for years, today there were talks
[00:14:50] about statements about the affected people
[00:14:54] and the sequence of chemical attacks and the conditions
[00:14:57] that the city of Douma experienced at that
[00:15:00] time. Today, it reminds us of the fact
[00:15:04] that we cannot ignore these
[00:15:07] incidents, because today, frankly,
[00:15:10] chemical weapons leave effects that
[00:15:14] transcend the moment itself. Today, they extend
[00:15:17] to health, to mental health,
[00:15:20] to social well-being,
[00:15:22] to the feeling
[00:15:25] of security. Local today, the trial,
[00:15:27] prosecution,
[00:15:30] and reminding of the Douma massacre is a very important matter
[00:15:33] and is one of the tasks of the fact-finding mission that will work
[00:15:37] on investigating this violation. Yes,
[00:15:41] yes, welcome back, Mr. Nidal. Does
[00:15:44] the organization have any programs or partnerships
[00:15:47] to support, I mean,
[00:15:51] the families of the victims and also the survivors?
[00:15:54] I mean, there is a large
[00:15:57] does the organization work in this regard? As
[00:16:01] a civil organization, we are
[00:16:05] day with the Organization for the Prohibition
[00:16:08] of Chemical Weapons. First of all, the work focuses on independent documentation
[00:16:12] المستقل
[00:16:15] of these crimes, based on a methodology of collecting
[00:16:20] testimonies and comparing them with internationally
[00:16:23] recognized standards. Today, the conventions related to internationally
[00:16:26] prohibited weapons are
[00:16:29] providing examples that contribute to enhancing a broader understanding
[00:16:32] of this context
[00:16:35] for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Back to your question,
[00:16:38] are there special programs for what is called reparations?
[00:16:42] Of course,
[00:16:45] a specialized body has been formed for reparations, but
[00:16:48] we do not know what the program is or the effectiveness
[00:16:51] of this body. However, as entities not affiliated with
[00:16:57] they do not fall within this context, but rather they work on
[00:17:01] confirming the use of these weapons
[00:17:03] for
[00:17:05] hostility or not, confirming the chain of command
[00:17:09] for ordering the use of chemical weapons from the top of the pyramid
[00:17:13] to the user himself.
[00:17:16] And also, referring these files
[00:17:19] to the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism, which in turn
[00:17:23] works on prosecuting those involved wherever they are, and thus
[00:17:27] also supports these investigations by the Syrian Ministry of Justice, which in turn
[00:17:30] works with the Ministry of Interior
[00:17:33] to prosecute those involved and those who gave the orders,
[00:17:37] specifically. So, Mr. Nidal, is there a mechanism
[00:17:41] to document long-term needs
[00:17:44] for victims
[00:17:49] and survivors? Today, we first need to rehabilitate
[00:17:52] the Syrian individual himself. The problem today
[00:17:55] is that there are many things. I even mentioned
[00:17:58] in previous meetings, and I hope this message reaches,
[00:18:02] I mentioned today the role of the Ministry of Health.
[00:18:05] The Ministry of Health must play a very important role, which is
[00:18:09] to work with survivors of chemical weapons. There are
[00:18:13] still cases of limb loss. Some people were born
[00:18:15] with birth defects. Some women suffer from psychological conditions
[00:18:19] due to pregnancy
[00:18:22] during
[00:18:26] the period when it affects the nervous
[00:18:30] system. Therefore, there are people
[00:18:33] who even have psychological problems that they suffer from,
[00:18:36] even if they just smell chlorine in
[00:18:39] an industrial
[00:18:41] setting. I am talking about cleaning materials, I am talking about
[00:18:45] swimming pools, about disinfectants in hospitals. There are people
[00:18:49] who still truly suffer from these effects, and these effects
[00:18:52] are long-term effects. We haven't even talked about soil
[00:18:56] damage. There are farmers who are also suffering from the fact that the soil
[00:19:00] has been destroyed. The issue of soil rehabilitation requires many
[00:19:03] years, and fertilizers and materials,
[00:19:06] and supervisors. Agricultural specialists
[00:19:10] to revive this soil. Many farmers have lost
[00:19:13] their lands where chemical weapons were used. Therefore,
[00:19:17] reparations, and the issue of treatment, and the issue of following
[00:19:20] up on the details of the people who are suffering
[00:19:24] from these problems, this requires a large
[00:19:27] apparatus, it truly requires the formation of a specialized
[00:19:31] entity to follow up on all these cases and provide assistance. So, Mr. Nidal,
[00:19:35] today the regime fell more than a year
[00:19:37] and a half ago. What are the obstacles
[00:19:40] that stand in the way of bringing
[00:19:44] all those who committed crimes
[00:19:47] against the victims or against the survivors
[00:19:50] and the families of the victims? What are the obstacles
[00:19:53] that stand in the way of achieving full justice for
[00:20:00] valuable question. In fact, there is no turning back on
[00:20:04] prosecuting those involved. Today we are talking about a large network,
[00:20:09] a network of years, this network
[00:20:13] included personalities who played an important
[00:20:16] role in the use of chemical
[00:20:19] weapons, their development, import, money laundering,
[00:20:22] and the establishment of fake companies.
[00:20:26] There was a large spider web in Syria and outside
[00:20:29] Syria. Today, if we talk about it inside
[00:20:32] Syria,
[00:20:35] the people who are praised are doing their duty. They are working
[00:20:38] on prosecuting those who are involved in the Syrian chemical program.
[00:20:42] But the biggest obstacle is
[00:20:45] the big heads who fled outside Syria. Today,
[00:20:48] we have more than
[00:20:52] people who are directly involved in the use of chemical
[00:20:55] weapons and giving orders and storing and transporting
[00:20:58] them. These people are directly involved
[00:21:00] and their prosecution depends on
[00:21:04] Syria being a member of the International Criminal
[00:21:07] Court and filing an official lawsuit against
[00:21:11] these people today and demanding that the state that
[00:21:14] hosts them
[00:21:16] extradite them. And today, Syria also needs to sign a memorandum
[00:21:20] of understanding with Interpol with all parts of the world.
[00:21:23] Today, we do not have an extradition agreement
[00:21:26] between us and other countries. Well, I understand that this
[00:21:30] new state is still young
[00:21:33] today, but moving towards signing
[00:21:37] memoranda of understanding is a very important
[00:24:49] An industry
[00:25:52] to open this bridge, the bridge
[00:25:55] that separates the two sides of the city of Al-Rastan,
[00:25:59] with the kind presence of His Excellency the Minister of Transport, Dr. Yaaroub Badr.
[00:27:06] Land border crossings are wide gateways
[00:27:10] that welcome arrivals and bid farewell
[00:27:13] to departures. They are supply lines
[00:27:16] through which goods and commodities flow. Syrian land crossings
[00:27:20] are witnessing today a comprehensive development
[00:27:23] movement, as efforts are being made to pave
[00:27:26] the roads of the crossings, upgrade
[00:27:29] the facilities, and improve the land ports
[00:27:33] to become economic bridges that caravans
[00:27:36] of import and export pass through. The development operations
[00:27:40] of land ports are not merely infrastructure
[00:27:44] renovation, but a comprehensive
[00:27:47] preparation process for stable commercial
[00:27:50] exchange lines and safer
[00:27:53] human passage.
[00:30:17] after its rehabilitation and the opening of new departments
[00:30:20] with modern equipment