A. FILONIK, Candidate of Economic Sciences The author of the article below recently visited Syria. On the pages of the magazine, he presents his vision of the problems of socio-economic development of this state. In sports, the words in the title mean that there is a long distance and heavy loads ahead. For the country, they mean that in the future it is necessary to rationally distribute forces and maintain the uniformity of movement, while maintaining the set pace. Syria now sees its goal as overcoming the sluggish economy and business anaemia and catching up. But to achieve this not immediately, but selectively, only where the conditions are ripe for this. With the arrival of the new president in 2000, a significant groundwork has already been created for future changes. TWO VIEWS ON LIFE The outward signs of the times were the heavily inflated city borders, modern and often expensive cars, and young women, mostly students, dressed, oddly enough for secular Syria, in accordance with strict Muslim canons. But life from the outside does not look ebullient. It seems to reproduce the realities that form the usual series of problems - the Middle East crisis, American attacks, economic difficulties, demographic growth. Indeed, Syria is going through a very difficult stage of development, in which the drama of the expectation of big internal changes and the sense of a growing threat from the United States, the main "democratizer" of the era, which plunged the neighboring Iraqi people into the abyss of tragic events, are closely intertwined. Of course, there is no panic about this. But it is clear that the general situation is also developing under the influence of such an unpleasant factor. Syria has experienced decades of antipathy from the United States and lives under unofficial sanctions, which constantly make themselves felt, whether it concerns access to high-tech products or high technologies. Back in the mid-80s, Syria could not buy high-precision instruments fo ... Read more