4 days ago
Amman hosts Jordanian-Syrian talks to boost economic cooperation
AMMAN — The Jordanian-Syrian Economic and Trade Committee convened in Amman on Tuesday, co-chaired by Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply Yarub Qudah and Syrian Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade Mohammad Samer Khalil.
Discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in key areas, including transport, agriculture, customs, standards and metrology, food and drug regulation, industrial cities, and free zones, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.
Both sides reiterated their commitment to advancing bilateral ties and emphasised the need to mobilise all available resources to overcome obstacles hindering trade, in line with the outcomes of the High Coordination Council meeting held in Damascus, co-chaired by the foreign ministers of both countries.
Qudah highlighted the importance of holding regular meetings of the joint committee, noting that such engagements reflect the countries' commitment to expanding cooperation frameworks and addressing challenges arising from the current exceptional international circumstances.
Khalil, for his part, described the committee's work as a reflection of the strong ties between the two countries and a practical step toward implementing previously agreed-upon decisions.
Secretary-General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Dana Zoubi, who led the Jordanian delegation in the preparatory meetings, and her Syrian counterpart, Deputy Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade Basel Abdul Hanan, presented a briefing on the outcomes of the sessions concluded on Monday.
Key outcomes included the formation of specialised technical committees to ensure continuous coordination and resolve trade-related issues, as well as a joint review of the bilateral free trade agreement with the goal of reactivation through the development of mutually prioritised product lists.
The two sides also reaffirmed agreements from recent land transport technical committee meetings held in Amman. Additional outcomes included the reopening of the Bab Al Hawa crossing for transit trade and the completion of maintenance on the Syrian section of the Hejaz Railway, both seen as important steps towards facilitating smoother cross-border trade and regional connectivity.
The two sides also agreed to launch a comprehensive capacity-building plan for Syria, including training in consumer protection, market monitoring, competition, industrial property registration, supply systems, warehouse management, issuance of electronic certificates of origin, industrial sector databases, digital transformation, food and drug regulation, and metrology.
The committee also discussed steps to expedite the registration of Jordanian pharmaceuticals in Syria. Jordan expressed its readiness to provide technical training and share expertise in regulatory oversight, inspection, horizontal storage, and digital transformation. The Ministry of Industry and Trade is currently developing a digital product to document Jordan's experience in training and e-automation.
Both sides stressed the importance of developing unified standards and agreed to establish a timeline for mutual recognition of technical specifications. It was also agreed that certificates of conformity issued by the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organisation would be accepted for Jordanian products entering the Syrian market.
The two countries also exchanged indicative lists of agricultural products suitable for mutual trade, along with proposed export timelines aligned with each country's production seasons.
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