On September 16, at the end of a two-day visit by a Syrian delegation led by Prime Minister Mahmoud al Zu'bi, Lebanese and Syrian officials signed four social and economic agreements. These were described as "framework agreements," the details of which are to be discussed and decided in joint committees. The agreements - called for in the Syrian-Lebanese Treaty of Brotherhood, Cooperation and Coordination - reflect an increasing trend by the Lebanese and Syrian governments to "harmonize" their actions, particularly at a time of momentous change in the Middle East. In August, both governments activated the Syrian-Lebanese Higher Council - also called for in the Syrian-Lebanese treaty. Below we publish and inofficial translation of excerpts from the four socio-economic agreements including a:

1. Social and Economic Cooperation agreement,
   
2. an agreement on the Movement of Goods and Individuals,
   
3. an Agricultural Cooperation agreement,and


4. a Health agreement
.

Social and Economic Cooperation Agreement

Article 1: The two countries have agreed to achieve the greatest degree of economic cooperation and coordination, in a progressive manner, and on the basis of reciprocity, in order to achieve economic complementarity on the basis of the following principles.

• The free movement of individuals.
• The free movement of goods and national products.
• The free movement of capital between the two states.
• Freedom of transport and transit, as well as the free use of means of transportation between the two states.
• Freedom of inheritance and property, within the framework of the laws and legislation existing in both countries.

Article 2: In order to implement article 1, both parties will strive to arrive at a bilateral common market, progressively, and in the following ways:

• By removing all restrictions on the freedom of movement of Syrians and Lebanese between the two states.
• By coordinating [actions] towards domestic restrictions on national goods exchanged between the two countries, in order to arrive at equality on this question.
• By working progressively to arrive at freedom of movement for goods and national products exchanged between the two countries, and to abolish customs duties on these goods in accordance with the list of goods and products prepared by the social and economic commission established by this agreement...
• By coordinating agricultural policies in order to develop the agricultural sector [and to] protect the interests of producers in both countries, and by taking into account the agricultural calendar approved by the joint agricultural commission...
• By coordinating on industrial development policy in order to reinforce the industrial sector in each of the two countries and in order to implement common industrial projects.
• By coordinating on tourism in order to implement a common policy to promote tourism.
• By insuring the freedom of work, employment, and residence for citizens of both countries, within the framework of laws and legislation existing in both countries. Legislation dealing with labour and social security in each of the two countries will be developed in order to achieve harmonization in this field.
• By establishing cooperation and coordination in health and social affairs.
• By facilitating the transfer of capital between the two states in order to insure the freedom of commerce between the two state...
• By coordinating fiscal and financial legislation...

Article 3: The social and economic commission called for in the Treaty of Cooperation and Coordination will strive to achieve the objectives in article 2 of this agreement. This commission will be comprised of the ministers concerned in each of the two countries....

• The decisions of the commission will be taken on the basis of consensus and will be submitted to the Higher Council called for in the Treaty of Cooperation and Coordination.
• The decisions of the commission can be implemented as soon as they are approved by the Higher Council...

Article 5: The achievement of the objectives mentioned in article 2 of this agreement will take place progressively, in order that coordination [ in all fields] between the two countries takes place in a flexible way, taking into account the economic capacities of the two countries to adapt to the changes necessary for the process of coordination.

• After the approval of the Higher Council, the social and economic commission may reconsider measures [taken], in light of their impact on the economies of the two countries.

Agreement Regulating the Movement of Individuals and Goods

The parties to the agreement [will] strive in order facilitate the movement of individuals and goods from, towards, and through their countries.

The Movement of Individuals:

• The two parties will guarantee the freedom of residence and movement, each in its own country, for citizens of the other party, within the framework of the applied laws and regulations.
• Official cars can move between the two countries without condition if they have a [pass] issued by the appropriate ministry.
• The owner of a private car registered in one of the two contracting states has the right - from the moment that he resides permanently in [one of the states].
• to enter, with his car, into the other country, to move around there, or to cross its [territory]...

The Movement of Goods: Trucks belonging to the two contracting countries and carrying goods are authorized to enter the other country, loaded or empty, and to accede with their goods to the point of delivery. They may return to their country, loaded or empty, and continue on their way after having delivered their freight in a third country...

• A permanent joint committee made up of the two contracting parties will have the tasks of supervising the proper implementation of the clauses of this agreement and proposing [any measures ] which will remove obstacles to the agreement's proper execution...
• The implementation of this agreement renders all previous agreements null and void. Previous laws or agreements contradicting the new regulations are also rendered null and void.
• A car cannot remain in the other country for more than four months a year, and the duration of stay during each trip cannot last beyond a period of fifteen days, renewable for the same amount of time...
  

Agreement on Health

1. Medicines:

The two states will establish a common list of principal medicines. This list will be prepared by a joint commission which will, periodically, bring it up to date.

Standardized criteria will be used in both countries for the delivery of manufacturing licenses and for the pharmaceutical quality of products.

Standardized criteria will be used in both states for the registration of medicines. Every medicine which is registered in one of the two countries is automatically considered valid in the other.

The two countries will cooperate to supply the demand for medicine in each of the two countries, and will give priority to their domestic pharmaceutical industries...

A cooperative programme will be established between the two countries to organize training sessions for people working in the pharmaceutical industry, [and] pharmaceutical supervision, registration, and price setting.

2. Public Health:

There will be an exchange of information on diseases, notably sexually transmitted diseases or diseases [transmitted] through blood transfusions.

The two states will inform each other of diseases transmitted by water or food. Measures will be taken by both sides to combat these scourges...

Agricultural Cooperation and Coordination Agreement

The Syrian Arab Republic and the Lebanese Republic... agree to:
Article 1: The sharing of results of experiments and experience in the field of theoretical and applied agricultural research relating to both plants and animals.

Article 2: Coordination in the matter of agricultural and animal quarantine and ways of stopping the spread of diseases.

Article 3: The preparation of a plan for agricultural complementarity between the two countries to include the following:

• Coordination of agricultural production policy.
• Work toward unifying legislation related to the agricultural sector.
• Production of agricultural crops.
• Crop rotation.
• Marketing of agricultural products.

Article 4: The creation of a joint agricultural marketing company whose establishment and mode of operation will be agreed upon by the two states.

Article 5: Studying the feasiblitity of joint agricultural projects.

Article 6: This agreement comes into force after approval by the specialized authorities in each of the Lebanese Republic and the Syrian Arab Republic.