Syria, Jordan to open a new page

The London-based Arabic newspaper al-Hayat today quoted Jordanian sources as saying that Jordanian Foreign Minister Abd al-Ilah al-Khatib will meet with his Syrian counterpart, Farouk al-Sharaa in Amman on April 10 in the first meeting of its sort in light of opening a new page in bilateral relations after long years of separation between the two countries.

The sources said that the FM's meeting will be followed by a meeting held by the Syrian - Jordanian high joint committee in Damascus under the chairmanship of the Syrian and Jordanian prime ministers to discuss means of upgrading bilateral economic cooperation and trade exchange.

The sources said the Syrian authorities presented more border facilities so Jordanian citizens can cross, pointing out that the distance between Amman and Damascus is brief, where the trip from Jordan to Syria could take less than two hours.

Furthermore the sources referred to new spirit of warmth in relations between the two states following the meeting held between the Jordanian monarch and Bashar al-Assad, the son of the Syrian president ,who visited Amman last month to pay condolences on the death of the Jordan's King Hussein.