Jordanian Prime Minister Dr. Adnan Badran said his talks with Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday gave a "very strong momentum" to the bilateral ties between the two countries, especially in the field of partnership and the setting up of free trade zones as well as the transit industry as key factor for transportation.
Prior to leaving Damascus International Airport at the end of a two-day visit to Syria, Badran told the official SANA news agency that the historical relations between the two countries have made "Biladul Sham" region a bridge between the East and West, expressing hope that this region could be reinvigorated.
He also expressed hope that his visit to Syria would help activate the agreements signed between Syria and Jordan, especially in the sectors of transit and transportation.
For his part, Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Ottri expressed hope that the results of Badran’s talks in Syria would reflect positively on the ground through joint efforts as stated by the directives of President Bashar al-Assad and King Abdullah II of Jordan.
According to the agency, Ottri stressed the importance of continued meetings between the governments of both sides.
In addition, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad Tuesday received a letter from Jordan's King Abdullah II on the bilateral relations and coordination between the two countries.
A Syrian presidential statement said that the Jordanian Premier, Adnan Badran delivered the letter to Al-Assad in the attendance of Syrian Premier Mohammed Naji Ottri.
It added that the two sides discussed the conditions in the regions, issues that are of mutual interest and means to further stregnthen bilateral cooperation in all sectors.
Relations betwen Amman and Damascus had become strained following a December 2004 interview with The Washington Post, in which Jordan's King Abdullah expressed concerns over Syria's role in Iraq.
King Abdullah had said the governments of both the United States and Iraq believe that "foreign fighters are coming across the Syrian border that have been trained in Syria."
© 2005 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
