Jordan, Syria seek greater integration

(MENAFN - Jordan Times) In preparation for the meetings of the Joint Jordanian-Syrian Higher Committee, members of the two countries' technical committee resumed their discussions on Friday, addressing means to increase cooperation in the fields of agriculture, education, electricity, energy, water and irrigation.

Co-chaired by Industry and Trade Ministry Secretary General Muntasir Oqla and Director General of the Syrian Prime Minister's Office Tayseer Zoubi, the technical committee meetings began on Thursday, amid hopes of increasing economic integration, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported from Damascus.

During the meetings, the two sides examined the commercial exchange volume and obstacles impeding the flow of goods between the two countries.

Oqla emphasized the need for reviewing the implementation of earlier agreements to take steps to increase the joint commercial exchange volume, which reached $570 million in 2008 and $313 million during the first seven months of this year.

To enhance cooperation, Zoubi said the committee members will draw up executive plans for the accords that have already been signed between the two sides to outline a time frame and streamline their implementation.

The Syrian official also called for increasing economic cooperation between Jordanian and Syrian businessmen as well as between economic entities to set up joint investment ventures, starting with the development of transport services.

Zoubi highlighted the importance of reaching a twinning agreement between the port of Aqaba and Syrian ports to link the Mediterranean and the Red Seas.

To facilitate their work, the delegates were separated into two specialized committees to review bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding.

The economic committee will tackle financial, industrial, commercial banking and agricultural issues while the service committee will deal with issues of communication, education, culture, labor, tourism, energy and media cooperation.

Jordan and Syria were scheduled to begin talks on Thursday on issues of common interest, with the sharing of water from the Yarmouk River Basin topping the agenda, a government official said on Wednesday.

Jordan Valley Authority Secretary General Musa Jamaani, who heads the Jordanian side at the Jordanian-Syrian Committee of the Yarmouk River Basin, said that during the meetings, several issues will be discussed, mainly the Yarmouk River Basin hydrogeological study and how to end Syrian violations on the Yarmouk River.

The study, which will be carried out jointly by Jordan and Syria, seeks to evaluate the quantity and quality of water resources in the Yarmouk River Basin, identify the causes of their depletion, and propose means to protect the basin from pollution and arbitrary pumping.

Jordan urged Syria several times to stop the cultivation of crops upstream and downstream on the Yarmouk River as the farming activity slows the river's water flow and reduces storage at the Wihdeh Dam.