Damascus: Demographic difficulties obstruct border settlements with Jordan

Meetings of the "Syrian- Jordanian joint security committee" were concluded yesterday in Damascus without reaching a final settlement in the border file between the two states, according to well-informed Syrian sources.

Meetings of the committee started two weeks ago at two phases, under the conditions that these will be completed in one of the two countries' capital very soon because of not reaching a final agreement yet on the mechanism to settling the file ultimately. The sources explained that the meeting "drew the general frameworks to deal with this issue, giving no more details." The next meeting is scheduled to be held later. The sources considered that the main difficulties the committee faces are "demographic," in remarks to the fact that scores of families are positioned on the two sides of the borders with the majority of them have "legal proof of their right to ownership." The source said that two sides have agreed to solve the problem in a way that serves the citizens on the two sides, adding that "there is a reality created throughout scores of years and therefore we can not change geography and the reality within one day and one night."

Worthy mentioning that the settling of this file ultimately should be on top of the agenda of the meetings if the Syrian- Jordanian higher committee which will be held under the chairmanship of the two prime ministers by the end of this year.