Syria and Jordan Sign 11 Agreements and Agree to Jointly Probe Deadly Daraa Strikes

Syria and Jordan signed 11 cooperation documents in Damascus and agreed to form a joint committee to investigate Jordanian airstrikes in southern Syria last month that Damascus says killed civilians, as the neighbors moved to repair ties. The agreements were signed at the third session of the two countries’ Higher Coordination Council on Nov. 8-9, according to Reuters via Al-Monitor and Jordan’s state news agency Petra !Unverified claim, Petra (Jordanian state news agency).

“Syrian blood is as precious to us as Jordanian blood,” Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said, according to Reuters.

The Daraa strikes

Jordan carried out the strikes in Daraa province on Oct. 26. Amman said they targeted Islamic State militants linked to the attack on a church in Karak, which we covered when three men went on trial in Jordan. Claimed by Syria: seven civilians, including three children, were killed in the strikes. The strikes led Syria to shut the Nassib border crossing, the main commercial route between the two countries.

The new joint committee will examine the strikes, Reuters reported. Its makeup and timeline were not published.

What was signed

The 11 documents comprise eight memoranda of understanding, two executive programs and one protocol, Roya News reported, citing a joint statement. Petra said they cover public administration and the civil service, agriculture, civil aviation, education, higher education and research, environmental protection, water and cloud seeding, investment, railway links, youth affairs and food security. Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani attended the signing.

Specific items include a project to seed clouds in the Yarmouk River basin, which both countries share, an investment cooperation agreement between Jordan’s Ministry of Investment and the Syrian Investment Agency, a memorandum on rail connectivity between the two transport ministries, and education and scholarship programs running from 2027 to 2029. Twenty of Syria’s 22 ministries now cooperate directly with Jordanian counterparts, according to the joint statement.

The two sides also agreed on a plan to train 1,450 Syrian public employees in Jordan, of whom 138 have been trained so far. The fourth session of the council will be held in Amman.

Analysis: trade as the glue

Bilateral trade has nearly tripled to $330 million, according to the joint statement. By The Boston Report’s calculation, that implies trade of roughly $110 million to $120 million before the increase. For Jordan, Syria is a transit route to Lebanon, Turkey and Europe, and reopening trade helps its trucking and farm sectors. For Syria’s government, which is seeking investment and reconstruction money, Jordan offers a stable partner and a route to the Gulf.

The rapprochement fits a wider pattern of regional states building ties with the new authorities in Damascus, including a Syria-Saudi defense deal and $403 million in loans. Security remains the sticking point. Jordan has long complained about drug smuggling, notably of the stimulant captagon, across the border, and it said its October strikes targeted militants linked to an attack on its own soil.

What to watch

The joint investigation is the first test of whether the two governments can handle security incidents without derailing cooperation. The reopening and smooth operation of Nassib, progress on the training program and any announcement on energy or water projects will show whether the agreements turn into practical change before the council meets again in Amman.

Sources

• Al-Monitor (Reuters): Syria, Jordan seek to mend ties after deadly airstrikes, sign cooperation deals
• Petra: Jordan, Syria sign 11 agreements to boost bilateral cooperation
• Roya News: Jordanian-Syrian statement announces the signing of 8 memoranda of understanding