Afrasianet - Zakaria Shahin - For the first time since 2011, King Abdullah II of Jordan received a phone call from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in another step that reflects the rapprochement of relations between Damascus and Amman after the announcement of the opening of the Jaber border crossing and the resumption of land and air flights between the two countries.

Jordan believes in the necessity of Syria's return to the Arab rank because, during the past ten years, this absence has been filled by regional and international powers, in addition to the fact that Jordan has economic, commercial and water interests with the Syrian side and is concerned with the flow of goods through Syrian ports, as well as the return of the Syrian transport line through Jordan to the Persian Gulf.

The border with Syria is an important artery for Jordan's economy, as Jordanian goods are exported through it to Turkey, Lebanon and Europe, and goods are imported from Syria and those countries through it as well. Jordan was achieving more than 800 million dinars in crossing imports through the border crossings.

These financial resources were lost while suffering from a stifling economic crisis and high debt, as well as Jordan losing its joint water share with Syria as a result of the crisis, and therefore Jordan is interested in looking for its interests.

Raising the level and level of economic, commercial and tourism exchange with Syria and through and around it such as the water file and the joint Yarmouk Basin the file of the war on terrorism.

Jordan's need to keep militias away from its borders...the war on drugs, whose trade and smuggling are witnessing a noticeable increase. On its northern borders... the Egyptian energy and gas files, and the electrical connection, which provides Jordan with an opportunity to market its surplus production to Lebanon, and perhaps to Syria. All these files are under investigation and work.

It is true that the crossings were closed during the past years, due to the control of some terrorist-classified factions that targeted Jordan more than once.

However, Jordan, due to its strategic interests with the neighboring Arab countries: Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, is keen on its security and stability, because any unrest in Syria will extend to Jordan.

Which was able to accommodate one million and 300 thousand Syrian refugees and is going through a difficult economic crisis and a very large debt.

The Jordanian Prime Minister, Bishr Al-Khasawneh, met at the end of last month with a delegation from the Syrian government, which included the Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade, Muhammad Samer Al-Khalil, the Minister of Water Resources, Tammam Raad, the Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Muhammad Qatana, and the Minister of Electricity, Ghassan Al-Zamil. At the time, the two parties discussed the fields of transport, intra-trade, water, agriculture and energy, stressing that "there is a state of satisfaction among the Syrian people due to the return of visits and relations between the two brotherly countries," according to Petra.

This was preceded by a meeting between the Syrian Minister of Defense, General Ali Ayoub, with the Jordanian Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Youssef Al-Hunaiti, in the capital, Amman.

A new Jordanian approach Followers say. When King Abdullah visited the United States of America and met with US President Joe Biden last July, he presented a "new Jordanian approach" that might contribute to absorbing the Syrian government.

The reason for this “approach” is that “there is a new fait accompli, as the regime currently controls 90 percent of the Syrian geography, and there is an acceptable calm and there is a feeling that there is no choice but to deal with the current Syrian government in order to ensure the state of calm in the region, and that it is necessary to Dialogue with Damascus in order to avoid Damascus being subject to targeting and influence by other regional parties and powers.

The eighth of this September witnessed an agreement between the energy ministers of Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon, at a meeting hosted by Amman, on a road map for transporting Egyptian gas through Syria by land to Lebanon, which is suffering from a stifling crisis that has caused a cut in fuel and energy.

It was agreed between the neighboring countries that Egypt would supply Lebanon with gas through a pipeline that crosses the Jordanian and Syrian territories, after ensuring the readiness of its infrastructure, and it was remarkable that Syria was present in the agreement after a rupture of years.

And last Tuesday, Jordan announced the reopening of its land borders, in addition to the resumption of air traffic with Syria, and calls from Arab officials have recently emerged urging countries to open up and cooperate with Damascus.

The coming period will witness "a map of new alliances in the region, in which the unity of Syrian relations will be emphasized, and what is happening within a new work organization that governs the interactions of neighboring countries on the one hand, and the countries of the region on the other hand."

Jordan wants from this file, "economic openness to Damascus, and facilitation of the export of gas and electricity to Lebanon, which cannot happen without the participation of the Syrian side."

Syria also "desires to open up more to Jordan, as it could become its gateway to return to the bosom of the Arab League after more than a decade of isolation."

The peak of the acceleration in the normalization of Syrian-Jordanian relations was the phone call between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Jordanian King Abdullah II.

On October 3, the Jordanian Royal Court website reported that “His Majesty King Abdullah II received a phone call from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

He discussed the relations between the two brotherly countries. and ways to enhance cooperation between them. Before that, at the end of last September, four Syrian ministers arrived in the Jordanian capital, Amman.

To complete a set of agreements related to the extension of power lines from # Jordan to Lebanon via Syria. And the opening of the land crossings between the two countries. and the resumption of flights. and agreements related to the water file.

What gives the impression that the normalization of Syrian-Jordanian relations includes all files. It establishes a new relationship between the two countries.

And after the meeting of the Jordanian Chief of Staff, “Youssef Hunaiti” with the Syrian Minister of Defense, “Ali Ayoub,” in the Jordanian capital, Amman.

Mazen Al-Faraya, the Jordanian Minister of Interior, announced the reopening of the Jordanian-Syrian border (the Jaber border post).

As of Wednesday morning, the twenty-ninth of September. In front of freight traffic and travelers.

The Jordanian Ministry of Interior stated in a statement that "this decision comes with the aim of activating the trade and tourism movement between the two countries.

Taking into account the required security and health measures Therefore, there is no doubt that there is an acceleration in the normalization of Syrian-Jordanian relations on the basis of two factors. political and economic.

It seems that the economic file is taking more space today than the political. But this is progressing in a permanent development because the stability of Syria, and building friendly relations with its government comes in the interest of all Arabs, and it is clear that this acceleration in meetings and relations will go far.

It may culminate in meetings between the heads of government of the two countries.

He may arrive later for a meeting between the Jordanian monarch and the Syrian president.

Especially since many data indicate that the normalization of Syrian-Jordanian relations enjoys an Arab cover, and perhaps Jordan will be the gateway from which Damascus will return to the Arab League and the international community.