Move follows meeting of Syrian-Jordanian Free Zone Company
A Syrian-Jordanian free zone resumed operations on Monday after years of suspension.
A statement by the Syrian-Jordanian Free Zone Company said a meeting was held in Amman on Sunday during which a mechanism was agreed upon to facilitate operations at the Jaber-Nasib border crossing to boost trade and shipping traffic between the two countries and to attract investments to the zone.
The meeting also explored the possibility of increasing working hours at the customs crossings to be around the clock.
It also discussed the activation of a free trade agreement between Jordan and Syria to increase their trade volume, address obstacles facing the private sector in both countries, facilitate transportation, and reduce fees charged on transit trucks.
The Jaber-Nasib border crossing was closed multiple times since the outbreak of Syria's civil war in 2011.
In 2015, Jordanian investors withdrew from the joint free trade zone after gunmen stormed it.
According to Jordan's Industry Ministry, the trade exchange between Damascus and Amman exceeded $500 million in 2011. It, however, drastically dropped to $100 million following the outbreak of the country's civil war.
After the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime, Jordan reaffirmed its support to Syria for rebuilding its institutions.
Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party's regime, which had been in power since 1963.
A new administration led by Ahmed Al-Sharaa has now taken control of the country.
