2 days ago
Jordan mulls increasing gas supplies to Syria, in cooperation with Egypt, Qatar
AMMAN — Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Saleh Kharabsheh and Minister of Water and Irrigation Raed Abul Saud on Wednesday held talks with Syrian Minister of Energy Mohammad Bashir to discuss ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in the fields of energy and water.
The meeting, held at the Energy Ministry headquarters, focused on strengthening regional integration, rehabilitating shared infrastructure and promoting sustainable development between the two neighbouring countries.
Kharabsheh said that, in line with directives from His Majesty King Abdullah, Jordan has been supplying Syria with Qatari natural gas through the Arab Gas Pipeline since the early stages of coordination. The minister also said that the two sides discussed increasing the volume of gas exported to Syria, in cooperation with Egypt and Qatar, to support electricity generation in the country.
The ministers also highlighted Jordan's expertise in managing electricity distribution and petroleum products, with Syrian officials expressing interest in benefiting from Jordanian experience.
Talks also covered plans to raise the electricity interconnection capacity between Jordan and Syria from 250 megawatts to 300 megawatts, alongside the rehabilitation of transmission lines with support from the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development and the International Monetary Fund.
The minister also said that agreements were signed with private sector partners to invest in renewable energy projects in Syria, as part of a broader effort to expand the use of clean energy in both countries, adding that a joint action plan was outlined to guide cooperation in technical and strategic areas in the coming months.
For his part, Al Bashir emphasised the importance of enhancing cooperation, particularly in expanding gas supplies, rehabilitating electrical networks and establishing regional electricity connectivity.
Minister of Water and Irrigation Raed Abul Saud also discussed with the Syrian delegation the pressing water challenges, including the declining water levels in the Yarmouk River Basin and the Wihdeh Dam.
The two sides agreed to form a technical committee to review the 1987 water-sharing agreement and explore updates to address current conditions.
Abul Saud and Al Bashir also noted that unregulated well drilling on the Syrian side of the Yarmouk River, which had significantly reduced inflows into the Unity Dam and the Jordan River, has now been halted as part of joint efforts to address the water crisis.
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