Jordan Says Reopening Crucial Syria Trade Route Needs More Talks
AMMAN (Dispatches) – Jordan says more talks with Syria are needed before an important border crossing shut for three years as a result of its neighbor’s war can reopen to serve regional trade.
The closure of the Nassib crossing in 2015 cut a crucial transit route for hundreds of trucks a day transporting goods between Turkey and the Persian Gulf, and Lebanon and the Persian Gulf, in multi-billion-dollar annual trade.
Damascus, which retook the crossing from the opposition last July, hopes to reopen the Nassib route because it is vital to its hopes of reviving Syria’s shattered economy and rebuilding in territory under its control.
But Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said technical committees between the two countries which began talks in the middle of September were still working out the practical arrangements.
"The border will open after the technical committees end all the necessary arrangements and measures needed to guarantee opening the borders serves the common interests of the two countries,” Safadi said after talks with his Lebanese counterpart.
Western diplomatic sources say staunch U.S. ally Amman is resisting Russian pressure to open the crossing as this would help Damascus show the war is ending and hand President Bashar al-Assad another major gain.
Backed by Iran and Russia, Assad’s army has retaken control of most of Syria.
Jordan has denied it agreed on a date to reopen the crossing after Syria announced on Sept. 29 that movement of traffic and goods had begun. Syria retracted that announcement later that day, saying it would reopen on Wednesday October 10.
Diplomats and officials have privately said the move appeared to signal mounting pressure by Damascus on Amman to speed up the opening of the crossing. Earlier, the Syrian authorities had said they had rehabilitated the crossing and it was ready to receive Syrian refugees.
Syrian forces of President Bashar al Assad are seen in the Nassib border crossing with Jordan in Deraa, Syria July 6, 2018.
The closure of the Nassib crossing in 2015 cut a crucial transit route for hundreds of trucks a day transporting goods between Turkey and the Persian Gulf, and Lebanon and the Persian Gulf, in multi-billion-dollar annual trade.
Damascus, which retook the crossing from the opposition last July, hopes to reopen the Nassib route because it is vital to its hopes of reviving Syria’s shattered economy and rebuilding in territory under its control.
But Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said technical committees between the two countries which began talks in the middle of September were still working out the practical arrangements.
"The border will open after the technical committees end all the necessary arrangements and measures needed to guarantee opening the borders serves the common interests of the two countries,” Safadi said after talks with his Lebanese counterpart.
Western diplomatic sources say staunch U.S. ally Amman is resisting Russian pressure to open the crossing as this would help Damascus show the war is ending and hand President Bashar al-Assad another major gain.
Backed by Iran and Russia, Assad’s army has retaken control of most of Syria.
Jordan has denied it agreed on a date to reopen the crossing after Syria announced on Sept. 29 that movement of traffic and goods had begun. Syria retracted that announcement later that day, saying it would reopen on Wednesday October 10.
Diplomats and officials have privately said the move appeared to signal mounting pressure by Damascus on Amman to speed up the opening of the crossing. Earlier, the Syrian authorities had said they had rehabilitated the crossing and it was ready to receive Syrian refugees.
Syrian forces of President Bashar al Assad are seen in the Nassib border crossing with Jordan in Deraa, Syria July 6, 2018.