Al-Watan newspaper quoted Obari as saying that it is absolutely untrue that these unilateral coercive measures exclude food and medicines as the West is saying.

These punitive actions imposed by the United States and European Union countries are a major obstacle to all industries in Syria, including medicines, the executive stressed.

He regretted that production costs are high compared to neighboring countries and even European countries, as a result of these sanctions which also lead to power outages and fuel shortages.

In turn, owners of domestic pharmaceutical companies affirmed during a meeting with the head of the Damascus Chamber of Industry, Ghazwan Al-Masri, that Syrian plants are capable of covering the needs of the Middle East if it were not because of the blockade.

Before the war that started in 2011, Syria had 70 medicine plants whose production covered 93 percent of the needs of the domestic market and, in addition, exported to more than 44 countries.

Terrorist actions caused the destruction and withdrawal 19 facilities, however, the Government managed to reactivate that industry and the plants, which in the current year reached 100, covering 85 percent of the needs.

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