Captagon Trade Conference IV | Damascus Edition

For the first time, the Captagon Trade Conference will be held in Damascus, following previous editions in Washington, Brussels, Paris, and New York. This year’s event provides a unique opportunity to engage Syrian and regional stakeholders on the evolving dynamics of the captagon trade, the country’s new counternarcotics posture, and emerging intersections with methamphetamine. Discussions will span security, public health, and political frameworks to address this growing regional threat.

Date and Time:
Tuesday, August 6, 2025 | 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM (GMT+3)

Location:
Syrian Forum Office, Damascus + Online

Simultaneous interpretation available in Arabic and English

Agenda:

10:00 – 11:30 AM | Syria’s New Counternarcotics Strategy
Exploring Syria’s institutional shift from permissive facilitation to a formalized counternarcotics policy, featuring voices from the Interior, Foreign Affairs, and Health ministries.

11:45 AM – 1:15 PM | Captagon’s Regional Spillover
Assessing how the dismantling of industrial captagon production in Syria has led to its geographic spread into neighboring countries, including Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq.

1:30 – 3:00 PM | The Captagon–Methamphetamine Nexus
Analyzing whether regional shortages of captagon are triggering a shift toward methamphetamine production and trafficking, and its implications for public health.

Speakers:

– Brig. Gen. Khaled Eid, Syrian Ministry of Interior

– Mr. Qutaiba Idlbi, Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

– Mr. Agheyad Naffakh, Syrian Ministry of Interior

– Maj. Eng. Abdal-Majeed Al-Khawaldah, Jordanian Ministry of Interior

– Caroline Rose, New Lines Institute

– Dr. Karam Shaar, New Lines Institute

– Huda Taktak, MedGlobal

Virtual Registration.

In-Person RSVP: rlipschitz@newlinesinstitute.org