On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov landed in Amman for a Middle Eastern visit, which also led him to the UAE capital Abu Dhabi.
What is remarkable in Jordan’s official statements was the emphasis on the importance of stability in southern Syria. Jordan is concerned about the increase in smuggling operations and the presence of terrorist hotbeds in this region.
The Jordanian king called for stability, especially in the south. He also stressed the need to activate efforts to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis in a way that preserves the country’s unity and ensures the voluntary and safe return of refugees.
Lavrov in Amman: Syria Focus of Visit. What Happened to Jordanian Initiative on Syria?
Safadi revealed during a joint press conference with Lavrov that the meeting discussed “the steps required to neutralize the threats of drug smuggling and terrorist hotbeds and provide the necessary limit of stability in southern Syria”. He described the Russian presence in this region as “a factor of stability in these circumstances where the political solution to the crisis remains an unachieved goal.” He stressed the need for Jordanian-Russian coordination in addressing the challenges in southern Syria.
An Arab diplomatic source following up in Amman considered, in a statement to Al-Watan, that the issue of the border with Syria is of great concern to Jordan, especially since there is a Jordanian belief that the Russian forces have carried out a repositioning operation in that area. This point has been addressed in a focused manner, and therefore the term “neutralization of southern Syria” was put forward in the hope that the Russian forces will help implement this order.
He pointed out that the Jordanian initiative for a solution in Syria is not new and was put forward at the beginning of the year. However, the remarkable development is Safadi’s affirmation of the need to rid Syria of terrorism. This is an important development in the Jordanian discourse, which today recognizes the issue of the existence of terrorism in Syria, and what is happening in it is a war on terrorism, which can be described as a positive development.
The source, who ruled out the possibility of official communication between the Syrian and Jordanian sides in the near future, pointed to the importance of successive steps between the two countries at the economic level. The strengthening of the economy would constitute an additional pressure factor on the Jordanian government to improve relations with Syria.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
