AMMAN
— The
Jaber border crossing into Syria was due to go fully operational Sunday, but
a source said the plan will be halted until the security situation was clear.
اضافة اعلان
An
Interior Ministry source told the Jordan News Agency, Petra, that the outlet
was completely shut before passenger and truck movement, pending improvement in
the situation.
A
security expert told
Jordan News earlier in the day that it was not safe for
anyone to travel under the current security situation.
On
Saturday, ceasefire negotiations were underway in Syria's southern
province of Daraa after the deadliest flare-up in three years killed 28 people,
including 11 civilians, a war monitor has said, cited by Agence France Presse.
The
clashes on Thursday between government forces and rebel fighters marked one of
the deadliest days of fighting in Syria in recent months, according
to the agency.
Opposition
factions blocked the Amman-Damascus highway inside Syria, posing a threat to
travelers on the international road.
On
Friday, the two sides exchanged tit-for-tat machine gunfire but refrained from
escalating attacks following talks to stop the fighting, the Syrian Observatory
for Human Rights said.
In
Amman, security expert Soud Al-Shurufat advised a halt in travel and shipping
plan for one week at least “till the dust settles”.
Minister
of Interior Mazen Al-Faraya said in a recent statement that "after making
full field arrangements with the Syrian side, the full operation of the Jaber
border will start as from Sunday August 1st ".
The
border crossing was operating at limited capacity, but both sides have agreed
to begin taking steps to kick start the necessary procedures for the border
crossing to open fully, including health measures, especially as soaring COVID-19 cases were reported at the outlet almost a year ago, triggering the second wave
of the pandemic.
The
trade sector received the news with jubilation, especially amid reports that
the US would make an exception to Jordan from the
Caesar Act, is a piece of US
legislation that places sanctions on the Syrian government for its war crimes
against the Syrian civilian population. Jordan was one nation where the
economic fallout was most strongly felt. Prior to the Syrian civil war,
Jordan’s exports to Syria ranged from $250-$300 million annually.
It
was reported that the shift in the US policy was secured by His Majesty King
Abdullah, who was in Washington DC in July.
Trade, transportation upbeat
President
of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce Nael Kabariti said opening
up to the northern neighbor was awaited for long, telling
Jordan News that "we
have an old neighborly relationship with Syria and opening the borders between
the two countries offers mutual benefits."
Kabariti
said in a phone interview that "our role as Jordanians is to return Syria under
the Arab umbrella and help it build a strong economy."
"We
will benefit from the transit issue; Tartous Port is an excellent port for
Jordanians especially under the current circumstances where conditions have
changed during the pandemic, and shipping costs have risen, let alone the
longer time shipments need to arrive." He said and added that "As for
Syrians, they can also benefit from Aqaba Port which an important sea outlet
where you can ship at a lower cost and a shorter time of delivery."
Kabariti
stressed that "thousands of taxis have been affected from the closure of
the borders too, they used to take people to Syria - you know people in Jordan
love Syria and they love to go there too. These taxis will return to work now,
this is like a dream for those who had made no income during the past
months."
"I
can say that almost each sector will be positively affected by this decision
not only in Jordan but in Syria too, we have to always remember and cherish our
old relationship with Syria. This relationship shall get closer now," he
said.
Ahmad
Ali, a taxi driver, told
Jordan News that "I used to travel to Syria
almost every month; I had a high demand from people to travel to Syria, and I
am happy now that things are getting as before."
Mahmoud
Sawalha, a cotton garments dealer, told
Jordan News that "I cannot express
how happy I am hearing this decision. It feels like a dream come true."
Sawalha
said that "when you buy some clothes at a lower cost, you can sell them to
consumers at reasonable prices. In the past months when I raised my prices due
to the increase in shipping costs, people were mad at me; they did not know how
we as merchants and dealers suffer."
Sawalha
stressed that "I can travel to Syria in my car now, I do not have to wait
for too long to receive my merchandise, in addition that the quality of
merchandise in Syria is great and highly demanded in Jordan."
The
deal between the two sides is to allow the crossing of 500 passengers daily and
200 vehicles, reports said.
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