Damascus: We seek comprehensive coordination with Amman, not new axis
Syria-Jordan, Politics, 4/21/1999

A high-ranking Syrian officials has expressed his hope that the Syrian-Jordanian summit between King Abdullah and President Hafez al-Assad will result in "full coordination" between the two states. He stressed that Damascus seeks to "restore matters back to normalcy," rather than formulating "new axes" in the region.

The Syrian officials' statements were made on Tuesday on the eve of King Abdullah's first visit to Syria since he assumed his current office, amid positive signals exchanged between the two countries following the death of King Hussein and al-Assad's participation in the King's funeral, as well as the visit of al-Assad's son, Bashar al-Assad, to Amman to offer condolences to King Abdullah on the death of his father.

The spokesman for the Syrian presidency, Jubran Koreyeh, said on Tuesday that talks will deal with "conditions in the region, the Arab arena and bilateral relations."

Moreover, the Syrian official said that Damascus "is open to debating matters that are conducive to developing relations between the two countries so as to reach comprehensive coordination in the political, economic, trade and cultural areas."

The two countries will work, following the summit, to resume meetings of the higher committee which is presided over by the two countries ' premiers to discuss means of promoting economic and trade relations.

Recently, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa announced that his country will not use the Jordanian - Israeli peace agreement as "the shirt of Othman" in that Syria will not use this agreement as evidence against Jordan to prevent cooperation between the two sides. (The shirt of the assassinated Muslim Caliph Othman was used as pressing paper by Mu'aweya, the Ummayad Caliph, against Imam Ali Bin Abi Taleb.)

The Syrian minister indicated that a new page was opened between Damascus and Amman in order to eliminate the coolness of bilateral relations that followed the signing of the Wadi Araba agreement in 1994 between Jordan and Israel. Moreover, the Syrian official added that developing relations between the two countries "serves the interest of every side."

After the Syrian official denied the positive stances recently emerged aiming at formulating "axes against any side," he asserted that efforts maintained by the two sides "aim at restoring matters to normalcy."

Previous Stories:
  Report: Issue of Jordanian detainees to be settled in Syria   (4/19/1999)
  Jordanian FM to visit Damascus   (4/12/1999)
  Jordanian king highlights relations with Syria and Kuwait   (4/6/1999)

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