An 80-member Jordanian business delegation kicked off on Tuesday a visit to Damascus to hold talks with regime officials and representatives of the private sector.
Discussions will focus on bolstering trade and economic cooperation and organizing bilateral business meetings to pave the way for trade and investment partnerships that will benefit both countries. These efforts will precede the reopening of the vital Nassib border crossing between Syria and Jordan.
The Syrian market is important for Jordan given that it is a route that takes it to Lebanon and the European Union.
Jordanian parliament Speaker Atef al-Tarawneh said that efforts have been ongoing to reopen the Nassib crossing. He also cited security coordination between Amman and Moscow over the possibility of returning Syrian refugees, hosted by Jordan, to their homes.
A Jordanian media delegation was expected to head with the businessmen to Damascus, but regime authorities barred them from traveling saying the visit was strictly between the business officials.
Meanwhile, a Jordanian security source stated that the reopening of border crossings with Syria needed a political decision. Damascus has yet to make such a request.
He expressed Amman’s concerns over the reopening of the Nassib crossing, explaining that the authorities want to work with the regime, not Iranian, Afghan or Lebanese militias.
Should the crossing be opened, then priority will be placed on trade and goods exchange in the free zone between the two countries, similar to a zone that was set up on Jordanian-Iraqi border, he continued.
Concerned Jordanian companies had in July started renovating their offices on the Jaber crossing in anticipation of an official announcement that it will be reopened.
