On the Jordanian Syrian summit
Syria-Jordan, Politics, 5/22/2000

Syrian President Hafez al-Assad and the Jordanian king on Sunday ended the coolness in relations between Damascus and Amman in the third visit carried out by the Jordanian Monarch to the Syrian capital since he assumed power in Jordan in February 1999.

The spokesman for the Syrian Presidency Jubran Koreyah said that President Hafez al-Assad and the Jordanian King held two work sessions: one was a close-door and the second was a plenary one attended by high ranking officials representing the two sides. Koreyah said the two leaders discussed issues relating to the peace process and bilateral relations.

It seemed that King Abdullah carries a role in the efforts aiming at resuming the Syrian- Israeli negotiations suspended since the beginning of this year. Observers say that the Jordanian King is " conveying verbal messages between Damascus and Tel Aviv " in order to " bring view points together in preparation for resuming the negotiations."

Meantime, well-informed sources said that notable efforts are being exerted by Amman, Cairo and al-Riyadh on the Syrian- Israeli negotiation tracks, remarked that the Jordanian prime Minister had expected negotiations on the Syrian track to be resumed one or two months.

President al-Assad and the Jordanian King exchanged views of the " Israeli withdrawal" from south Lebanon and " the possibility of Jordan's participation in the UNIFIL forces working in South Lebanon."

The observers find out that the visit of the Jordanian king to Damascus will " refute the allegations on the intensified relations between Damascus and Amman following the cessation of exchanged visits since July 1999, when the Syrian- Jordanian summit was held in Damascus."

It is expected that relations between the two states will witness a new breakthrough after the announcement made that an Arab financing was ensured for establishing al-Wahda dam on the al-Yarmouk river which both Syria and Jordan will benefit from its water storage estimated at 225 million cubic meters.

The two states hope to increase the volume of their commercial exchange estimated officially at US $ two billion.

Previous Stories:
  King Abdullah visits Damascus tomorrow   (5/20/2000)
  King Abdullah to visit Syria on Sunday   (5/18/2000)
  Al-Shara receives a telephone call from Jordan counterpart   (5/15/2000)

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