- Title: Jordan fully reopens main crossing with Syria
- Date: 29th September 2021
- Summary: JORDANIAN SYRIAN BORDER, JORDAN (SEPTEMBER 29, 2021) (REUTERS) TRAILERS AND PEOPLE AT JABER CROSSING SIGN READING (Arabic): 'JABER CROSSING CENTER WELCOMES YOU' VARIOUS OF TAXIS, PASSENGERS AND SECURITY AT BORDER CROSSING SECURITY PERSONNEL STANDING IN ARMOURED VEHICLE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CHAIRMAN OF THE OWNERS OF CLEARANCE AND TRANSPORT COMPANIES ASSOCIATION, DAIF ALLAH ABU AKULA, SAYING: "We value the decision of his excellency the minister of interior for cancelling the back to back (transportation system) for shipping. This will ease the flow of goods carried by Jordanian trailers to Syria. It will also ease the entry of goods carried by Syrian trailers to Jordan from Lebanon and Syria. This decision came at a time when there is an increase in imports to Syria by 600% though the Aqaba port." VARIOUS OF TRAILERS AT CROSSING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) TRAILER DRIVER, OSAMA AL KHAZALI, SAYING: "It is better than waiting for two or three days until we transfer our goods to a Syrian vehicle, we can just enter, transit, to Aleppo for example." VARIOUS OF TRAILERS CARRYING GOODS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) TRAILER DRIVER, OSAMA AL KHAZALI, SAYING: "This (opening the border) will be cheaper for traders there, if a Jordanian trailer just enters Syria than having two trailers and moving the goods between them. Now, one car can carry goods from Aqaba and enter to Damascus." VARIOUS OF BUS AND PASSENGERS WITH LUGGAGE AT BORDER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEAD OF JABER CROSSING, COLONEL MOAYAD AL ZUBI, SAYING: "The security situation is now stable on the Syrian side, according to sources, and we hope it remains stable. This was a reason behind the last closure of the Jordanian-Syrian borders." BUSES AND TRAILERS AT BORDER SIGN READING (Arabic/English): 'SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC. BORDER NASEEB CENTER' BUSES AND TRAILERS AT BORDER
- Embargoed: 13th October 2021 14:39
- Keywords: Jordan Syria borders trade
- Location: JORDANIAN SYRIAN BORDER, AMMAN AND AQABA, JORDAN
- City: JORDANIAN SYRIAN BORDER, AMMAN AND AQABA, JORDAN
- Country: Jordan
- Topics: Middle East,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001EWRW3EV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Jordan fully reopened its main border crossing with Syria on Wednesday (September 29) in a boost for their struggling economies following a push by Arab states to reintegrate a country they have shunned during its decade-long civil war.
A convoy of Syrian trailers waited to enter the Jordanian side of the border at the Jaber crossing.
Police officers with dogs searched cars and coaches as they crossed through the gate.
A stream of taxis with passengers also lined up to pass through customs and immigration control.
"The security situation is now stable on the Syrian side, according to sources, and we hope it remains stable," Colonel Moayad Al Zubi, the head of Jaber crossing, told Reuters.
Syria, which blames Western sanctions for its economic woes, hopes wider business links with its southern neighbor will help it recover from the devastating conflict and attract much-needed foreign currency.
Officials in Jordan, a U.S. ally, and Lebanon have urged Washington to ease sanctions on Syria to facilitate trade.
Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt - another close U.S. ally - this month reached agreement for Egyptian natural gas to be sent to Lebanon via Syria using a pipeline built some 20 years ago in an Arab cooperation project.
Although the Jaber crossing has been partially open since 2018 after the Syrian government drove rebels from the south, trade has yet to recover to its $1 billion pre-war level.
Jordanian officials said a visiting trade delegation from Syria, led by economy, trade, agriculture, water and electricity ministers, would discuss lifting tariff barriers.
Before the conflict in Syria, the Nasib-Jaber crossing was a transit route for hundreds of trucks a day transporting goods between Europe and Turkey and the Gulf.
"This will ease the flow of goods carried by Jordanian trailers to Syria. It will also ease the entry of goods carried by Syrian trailers to Jordan from Lebanon and Syria. This decision came at a time when there is an increase in imports to Syria by 600% though the Aqaba port," chairman of the owners of clearance and transport companies association, Daif Allah Abu Akula said.
(Production: Hams Rabah, Jehad Abu Shalbak) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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