Jordan reopens border crossing with Syria, seeks trade boost

Jordan fully reopened its main border crossing with Syria on Wednesday in a move to boost the countries’ struggling economies and reinforce a push by Arab states to reintegrate Syria after shunning it during its civil war.

Syrian trucks waited to enter Jordan at the Jaber border crossing and taxis carrying passengers lined up to pass through customs and immigration control.

“The security situation is now stable on the Syrian side and we hope it remains stable,” Colonel Moayad Al Zubi, the head of Jaber crossing, told Reuters.

The Jaber crossing had reopened in 2018 after the Syrian government drove rebels from the south, but the Covid-19 pandemic led to measures being imposed to curb transmission of the virus.

Syria, which blames Western sanctions for its economic problems, hopes wider business links with

its southern neighbour will help it recover from a decade of war.

“The aim of these understandings is to boost trade exchange between the two countries to achieve the interests of every party,” Jordanian trade and industry minister Maha Al Ali told state-owned Al Mamlaka television.

“We now are feeling there is a US move to give a bigger space for Jordanian businessmen to deal with Syria,” said Jamal Al Refai, vice chairman of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce.

But the United States, which has suspended its diplomatic presence in Syria in 2012, has not shown any indication of an imminent change in ties.

In response to questions on whether the United States encourages or supports a rapprochement between Syria and Jordan, a State Department spokesperson said Washington had no plans to ‘normalise or upgrade’ diplomatic relations with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and was not encouraging others to do.