Syria-Turkey Interregional Cooperation Program

(STICP)

About the Program



It has been decided to instigate the program between the Governorate of Aleppo, on the Syrian side, that possesses massive economic capacity, and the Governorates of Killes, Onkobinar Gate on the borders close to Aleppo, and Gaziantep on the Turkish side, to take place in the period 2006-2008. The budget of the STICP has been fixed at the amount of US$20 shared fifty-fifty between the two sides.

The first meeting of the Joint Supervision and Management Committee for Interregional Cooperation between the Republic of Turkey and the Syrian Arab Republic was held in GaGaziantep on 7th April 2005.

As a result of technical deliberations, an agreement on executing the projects related to infrastructure, technical cooperation, developing capacities, support in the fields of contracts, culture, and tourism was reached.



Estimated Budget for Interregional Cooperation

between Syria and Turkey

(in US$)

Program Priorities
Turkey
Syria

Infrastructure
4.5 million
5 million

Technical cooperation and making decisions
1 million
1.5 million

Backing up private initiatives
2 million
1 million

Culture and tourism
1.5 million
1.5 million

Employees and technical equipment
1 million
1 million

Total
10 million
10 million




Beneficiaries, limits of benefits from the Program budget and minimum of shares:



Beneficiary
Benefit from the Program Budget
Minimum of share

Public Enterprises and organizations, and Municipalities
$350,000
10%

Non-Government organizations
$100,000
25%

Small and medium size enterprises
$100,000
50%

Education, research and technical consults
$50,000
5%






The necessary procedures to benefit from the investment block assigned for the programme:



filling the application form set by the program management center
For technical cooperation and tourism projects, submission of economic feasibility study
For government authorities, a justificatory report.
A statement of estimated costs worked out according to law and regulations
A statement of expenses paid from the start till the present time, and the future expenses for projects in the process of execution
Proposed contribution shares in the project costs whether to the beneficiary or the programme


Criteria for selecting the projects:



· Project contribution to the bilateral cooperation and commitment to the identified priorities

· Project contribution to the economic development

· Project's ability to endure

· Project contribution to employment

· Rate of contribution share proposed by beneficiaries