Jordan and Syria have agreed to form a joint security committee to secure their border, combat arms and drug smuggling and work to prevent the resurgence of ISIS militants, the Jordanian foreign minister said on Tuesday.
Western anti-narcotics officials say the addictive, amphetamine-type stimulant known as captagon has for years been mass-produced in Syria and that Jordan is a transit route to other countries.
Jordan's army has conducted several preemptive airstrikes in Syria since 2023 that Jordanian officials say targeted militias accused of links to the drug trade, as well as the militias' facilities.
"We discussed securing the borders, especially the threat of arms and drugs smuggling and the resurgence of ISIS. Our security is one, we will coordinate together to combat these mutual challenges," Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told a joint press conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani.
Shibani, who was in Amman after visiting Qatar and the United Arab Emirates following the Dec. 8 fall of President Bashar al-Assad, told Safadi that drug smuggling would not pose a threat to Jordan under Syria's new rulers.
"The new situation in Syria ended the threats posed to Jordan's security," Shibani said. "When it comes to captagon and drug smuggling, we promise it is over and won't return. We are ready to cooperate on this extensively."
Answering a question about US sanctions on Syria, Shibani said the latest move by Washington to ease restrictions on humanitarian aid for Syria should be a step towards a full lifting of sanctions, which were imposed to isolate the Assad government over its deadly crackdowns on opponents.
He added that existing sanctions posed a major obstacle to the recovery of Syria from 13 years of devastating civil war.
Safadi said that his country supports the Syrian people as they work to "rebuild their homeland on the foundations that preserve its security, stability, sovereignty and unity and fulfill the rights of its people," adding that Jordan is "ready to provide electricity to our brothers immediately, and we are also ready to work together to provide gas."
Syria, targeted by stringent sanctions, has been in a prolonged economic crisis and Syrians receive only a few hours of state-provided electricity per day.
