The Jaber- Naseeb crossing between Jordan and Syria. The National
The Jaber- Naseeb crossing between Jordan and Syria. The National
The Jaber- Naseeb crossing between Jordan and Syria. The National
The Jaber- Naseeb crossing between Jordan and Syria. The National

Jordanian and Syrian foreign ministers discuss border security


Khaled Yacoub Oweis
  • English
  • Arabic

The Jordanian and Syrian foreign ministers met in New York this week and discussed border security, Jordan's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

The meeting on Wednesday during the UN General Assembly was the highest-level diplomatic meeting between the two governments since the outbreak of the Syrian revolt 10 years ago.

Jordan's King Abdullah II said in July that Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has shown “longevity”.

Jordanian officials made it clear that improving ties with the regime serves the kingdom’s interests.

The ministry said Foreign Minister Ayman Al Safadi discussed with Faisal Al Mekdad ways to guarantee “the security of the border in ways to serve the interests of the two countries”.

Diplomats in Amman say although Jordan favours accommodation with Mr Al Assad, it is worried about increased drug trafficking from regime areas to Jordan.

The traffic flows from border areas controlled by the regime and pro-Iranian militias linked with Hezbollah, they say, adding that a large proportion of the drugs are routed through Jordan to inner Arabia.

The meeting comes a few days after Syrian Defence Minister and Chief of Staff Ali Ayyoub visited Jordan.

The Jordanian military said he met in Amman on Sunday with Jordanian Chief of Staff Yousef Hunaiti and discussed “joint efforts to combat cross-border smuggling operations, especially drugs".

Unlike most Gulf countries, Jordan did not sever diplomatic ties with Damascus in response to the regime’s crackdown on the initially peaceful protests in 2011 against five decades of Assad family rule.

The revolt broke out in the Hauran Plain, on the border with Jordan.

The same families live on the two sides of the border and a large proportion of the hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees who fled to Jordan during the civil war are from Hauran.

Jordanian officials did not comment this month as the regime captured an opposition pocket in Hauran after weeks of Russian pressure on its rebel defenders to accept a surrender deal.

Mr Al Safadi and Mr Al Mekdad also discussed supplying Lebanon with gas and electricity through Syria, the Jordanian ministry said.

Jordan has been seeking in the past two months to mediate energy shipments to Lebanon. A decades-long power crisis worsened this year as the Lebanese economy deteriorated.

Jordanian officials want to send Egyptian fuel to Lebanon through Jordan and areas controlled by the Assad regime.

The kingdom has been also considering supplying some of its own electricity to Lebanon but a regional meeting for that purpose was postponed this month.

Mr Al Safadi told The National this week that he was confident Washington would grant a waiver so that sanctions imposed against the Assad regime would not hinder Jordanian proposals to supply Lebanon with power.

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

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Updated: September 23, 2021, 10:23 PM