ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Syrian energy ministry on Tuesday signed a deal with US-based energy giant ConocoPhillips and energy firm Novatera to develop gas fields and expand production, the ministry announced, as Damascus seeks to attract international energy investment.

The deal was signed with the Syrian Petroleum Company (SPC), which falls under the energy ministry, with Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir saying the agreement “represents an important milestone in the development of the energy sector in Syria, and reflects the return of international confidence in the investment environment in the sector.”

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was first signed with the two companies in November to expand cooperation in the gas sector.

"We were in [the] country a number of decades ago, and this represents the re-entry of our company back into Syria in partnership with NovaTerra," ConocoPhillips chairman and CEO Ryan Lance said at a news conference in Damascus.

Novaterra Energy CEO Alex Macdonald told reporters that his company would be “providing training and providing access to cutting-edge software and technology” to build its operations in Syria.

Following the signing, Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa received the two CEOs to discuss “the prospects of cooperation” and “to develop the operational structure of the gas fields and to promote the national gas production,” according to the Syrian Presidency.

In May, Syria signed an MoU with ConocoPhillips, France's TotalEnergies, and Qatar's QatarEnergy on offshore oil and gas exploration. In February, it also signed a preliminary deal with US energy giant Chevron and Qatari firm Power International for offshore energy exploration.

Since the rise of the new Syrian government following the ousting of the previous Baath regime, Damascus has aimed to revive its energy sector, which has suffered severe setbacks throughout years of war and civil unrest.