Syria and Jordan Sign 11 Agreements to Strengthen Economic Cooperation

• Syria and Jordan have signed 11 agreements to bolster economic cooperation across multiple sectors, such as agriculture, transportation, and energy.
• The package comprises eight memoranda of understanding, two executive programs, and a cooperation protocol, targeting sectors including food security and higher education.

In Jeddah, Syria and Jordan have signed 11 agreements aimed at deepening economic cooperation and advancing joint development projects across investment, agriculture, transport, and related sectors.

Investment and Industrial Cooperation

The council emphasized the need to address technical, logistical and legislative challenges affecting trade flows and to develop joint supply chains, particularly in the pharmaceutical, food and reconstruction‑related industries. The two sides discussed expanding industrial, logistical and investment activities within the Syrian‑Jordanian Joint Free Zone and exploring the creation of a border‑area joint economic city to host industrial, production and service operations and attract investment. The council called for the activation of the Joint Jordanian‑Syrian Business Council and the strengthening of partnerships between private‑sector institutions in both countries. Discussions covered mechanisms to develop and finance priority projects, including Syria’s proposal for a dedicated Investment Fund for reconstruction, coordinated with donors and financing institutions.

Energy and Gas Cooperation

Energy was a key focus, as the two countries discussed ways to meet Syria’s natural gas needs, including supplying compressed natural gas from Jordan’s Risha field to industrial facilities in southern Syria, and exploring Jordan’s Madouna storage capacity to provide petroleum products to southern Syrian regions while transferring expertise in LNG storage and regasification. The talks covered coordinating Syria’s 2027 gas requirements, arranging natural gas transport to Lebanon via Syrian territory, and examining the use of Jordanian gas to generate electricity at Syrian power plants for export to Lebanon. The council noted that trilateral coordination will continue to finalize the required technical, commercial and contractual arrangements.

Transport and Rail Links

The two sides also discussed rehabilitating the international highway between Syria and Jordan and developing the Damascus‑Homs‑Aleppo corridor to ease truck movements, and agreed to expand transport exemptions to reduce delays and cargo transshipment. Plans to upgrade the Nassib‑Jaber border crossing include separating truck and passenger lanes, enhancing traffic management and information exchange, and pursuing round‑the‑clock operations.

Agriculture, Water and Technology

In agriculture, the council discussed establishing a joint agro‑industrial zone in the Syrian‑Jordanian Free Zone, featuring a food‑processing and manufacturing complex, along with expanded grain storage capacity, strategic commodity reserves, and the utilization of surplus Syrian wheat and barley. Agricultural marketing cooperation was to be strengthened, potentially including Syria’s participation in the Jordanian‑Palestinian Agricultural Products Marketing Cooperative.

On water, they agreed to continue cooperation through the Joint Technical Water Committee and pursue studies on the Yarmouk River Basin to achieve equitable water distribution, signed a memorandum of understanding for a joint cloud‑seeding project, and discussed developing an initiative to convey desalinated water from coastal areas.

In the digital sector, the council welcomed progress on the Syrian‑Jordanian Darb Al‑Safa connectivity project and discussed establishing a regional internet exchange point, expanding cooperation in data centers and cloud computing, and launching a digital corridor linking Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria to Europe. The second Syrian‑Jordanian Information and Communications Technology Forum is scheduled for April 2027 in Aqaba.

In March, Syrian and Jordanian officials discussed ways to boost trade between the two countries, reaffirming their commitment to facilitating the movement of goods and products across their borders and ensuring smooth transit through flexible procedures that support commercial activity.

Related

Source link