Washington: No Plans to Normalize Diplomatic Ties with Syria
A State Department Spokesperson comments on rapprochement between Jordan and Syria and says that the US has no plans to normalize or upgrade diplomatic ties with Syria.
Reuters reported a US State Department Spokesperson as saying that his country has no plans to normalize or upgrade diplomatic ties with Syria, nor does it encourage others to do so.
The comments came in response to questions on whether Washington supports or is in favor of rapprochement between Jordan and Syria, now that Jordan has fully reopened its main border crossing with Syria.
State Department Spokesperson Jalina Porter had said on Wednesday, commenting on the resumption of commercial flights between Jordan and Syria, "When it comes to commercial travel and Jordan, we certainly welcome this announcement."
But after another question further inquiring about the background of this welcome, especially in light of the lack of ties between Washington and Damascus and whether this means a shift in relations with Syria, Porter said, "We're certainly reviewing the announcement."
Jordan-Syrian détente
Jordan's Ministry of Transport said that the "Royal Jordanian Company will, as of next Sunday, provide a land transport service for its passengers" to and from Syria.
A Jordanian-Syrian agreement was reached to reactivate the joint water committee in order to follow up on the implementation of the agreement signed between the two countries in 1987. The agreement focuses on activating the cooperative joint committees as soon as possible in order to maximize the utilization of Yarmouk Basin waters.
Syrian Defense Minister and Chief of Staff Ali Ayyoub met with Jordanian Army Chief Lieutenant General Yousef Hunaiti to discuss combatting drug smuggling and extremism on their mutual border.
It is worth noting that such an initiative came after the Syrian Army reclaimed Deraa, which was a hotspot for anti-government protests in 2011.