Jordan Times
Saturday, July 24, 1999
Jordan-Syria panel meets today
By Caroline Faraj
AMMAN — The joint Jordanian-Syrian Higher Committee is scheduled to hold a long-awaited meeting in Amman on Saturday, an official source said on Friday.
“The joint committee headed by the prime ministers of the two countries will discuss ways to enhance ties in various fields, particularly economic” said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“The committee, which meets for the first time since 1989, is expected to chart an overall strategy for broad-based cooperation,” the official said.
Officials believe that Jordan's relationship with Syria is expected to reach new highs analogous to relations that existed between the two countries in the late seventies.
“Jordan regards its relations with Syria as the most important set of bilateral ties covering a comprehensive range of issues of mutual interests to the two countries in the political, economic, commercial and regional spheres,” the official added.
On Thursday, a preparatory meeting headed by the two trade ministers of the two countries concluded in Amman with the two agreeing on the agenda of the higher committee meeting.
Several agreements are expected to be signed during the three-day meeting, the official added.
The two sides are expected to sign agreements in various fields that cover agriculture, water, transportation, free trade zone, cultural and scientific cooperation, higher education, banking and joint investments with a special focus given to private sector ventures.
“We'll try to cover all issues that are of mutual interest,” said the official, who added, “but the economic issues will definitely top the agenda, and mainly trade issues.”
One of the agreements that the two sides are expected to sign is creating a bilateral free trade zone.
“The aim of the trade zone is to promote trade exchange on an equitable basis,” said another official. “The agreement will include a list of commodities that can be traded free of customs duties and other fees,” he added.
According to the agreement, Syria's market will be open to Jordanian products and vice versa as a first step leading to a total removal of all trade restrictions and customs duty between the two countries by the year 2007.
Jordan is linked to Syria through a 1975 economic cooperation agreement which has not yet been amended.
Two-way trade fell sharply last year, according to figures released by the Central Bank of Jordan statistics. Jordanian exports to Syria fell to $21.38 million in 1998 from $35.95 million in 1997, while Syria sold $42.91 million of goods to Jordan, down from $82.25 million the year before.
Relations between Amman and Damascus, which were severely strained when Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, have recovered markedly since His Majesty King Abdullah visited Syria on April 21.