kingdom of jordan Hosted the foreign ministers of several important states in the region as part of a wider process of enhancing Syrian reunification. Jordanian state media Petra reported that “a ministerial consultation meeting hosted by Jordan and attended by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq and Egypt began on Monday.” The report states that this is a “follow-up to the consultative meeting Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries, Which was held in Jeddah on 14 April at the invitation of Saudi Arabia and was also attended by Jordan, Iraq and Egypt.
The idea is to support a political solution for Syria; is supporting the regime not only because the conflict there has been relatively subdued, demonstrating how Arab states want the normalization of Syria to be a progress. Saudi Arabia has taken the lead along with the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, and Jordan is also a major player due to its shared border with Syria. At one point, it hosted a million Syrian refugees. Iraq is also in the same situation. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi Will visit Syria soon; Iran wants its Damascus ally to build strong ties in the region – as long as Tehran benefits.
According to Petra, Jordan’s “Deputy Prime Minister [&] Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi met with his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad ahead of the ministerial consultation meeting. The two officials addressed efforts to establish an Arab leadership role for a political solution to the Syrian crisis based on the Jordanian initiative and other Arab options.
The report added that “a wide range of bilateral concerns including border security, refugees, water and the fight against drug trafficking were dealt with during the meeting.” Smuggling is extremely relevant as militias in Syria export Captogon around the region. Some groups are backed by Iran and are part of the billion-dollar industry of illegal drug trade in the region. Some drugs end up in the bay.
The meetings coincided with Jordanian Interior Minister Mazen Faraya and Norwegian Justice Minister Emily Enger meeting and discussing ways to enhance cooperation on the Syrian refugee crisis. “Fraya underlined Norway’s support for Jordan in its handling of the Syrian refugee crisis, including support for refugee camps and host communities’ infrastructure, and support for national development programs and projects,” Petra reported.
Jordan needs more money for refugees; The report states that only 6% of the required funds have been pledged. “Pending a political solution in Syria, Jordan will work hard to provide security, education, health care and a decent life for the refugees,” the report said.
Jordan is establishing itself as a major regional leader
In hosting the meetings, Jordan is positioning itself as a major regional leader, most recently hosting discussions with the US regarding joint cooperation and coordination on various military, operational, training and logistics areas. According to Jordan’s Al-Ghad media, the Kingdom views the return of Syria to the Arab League as the League’s decision. It is not clear what that means as the meeting in Amman shows support for normalizing ties with Damascus in the region.
The final statement from the meeting with the Syrians included a lengthy statement from ministers from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iraq that “affirmed the priority of ending the crisis. [in Syria] And all that happened in the context of the killing, the destruction and destruction, and the suffering of the brotherly Syrian people … and the negative consequences regionally and internationally, through a political solution that preserves the unity, solidarity and sovereignty of Syria , meets the aspirations of its people, rids it of terrorism, and contributes to strengthening conditions suitable for the voluntary and safe return of refugees, driving out all illegal foreign forces from it, thereby promoting national reconciliation is done, and Syria’s security, stability, health and role are restored. [in the region,” according to the report.The goal is to integrate Syria into the region and address the humanitarian, security and political situation. The countries agreed to deliver humanitarian aid, to back international efforts in Syria and “to support Syria and its institutions in any legitimate efforts to extend its control over its lands, impose the rule of law, end the presence of armed and terrorist groups on Syrian lands, and stop foreign interference in Syrian internal affairs, in accordance with the provisions of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.”
Overall, these were general statements but they are symbolically important. It shows an attempt to prevent the drug trade and address issues in Syria. It also positions Jordan as a key part in this process.