Prime ministers of Jordan, Syria hold cooperation talks

Dec 29, 2007, 13:56 GMT

Amman - Syrian Prime Minister Muhammed Naji al-Otari arrived in Amman on Saturday for a two-day visit and talks with his Jordanian counterpart Nader Dahabi on means of boosting bilateral cooperation, mainly in the economic and security spheres, officials said.

Al-Otari and Dahabi are due to lead their countries' delegations to the meetings of the Joint Higher Jordanian-Syrian Commission meeting in Amman, they added.

In an arrival statement, the Syrian Premier expressed hope that the 12th meeting of the joint commission 'will reflect the common ambitions of the two brotherly peoples in boosting bilateral ties particularly in the economic, cultural and social spheres.'

He pointed out that the two countries planned to sign a number of agreements at the end of the panel's meetings.

High on the agenda is the demarcation of the common border and reinvigorating a bilateral security cooperation accord, particularly in the field of combating terrorism and crime, officials said.

However, observers believed that the top-level discussions between the two countries would also tackle latest developments in the area in the wake of the November 27 Annapolis conference, particularly the prospects of resuming peace talks between Israel and Syria.