Amman, October 7 (Petra) – Interior Minister Mazen Faraya met on Tuesday with his Syrian counterpart Anas Khattab and an accompanying delegation to discuss issues of mutual interest, reflecting the depth of Jordanian-Syrian relations and efforts to enhance cooperation.
Faraya emphasised the strong ties between Jordan and Syria, welcoming the visit as part of ongoing efforts to exchange expertise and advance regional security integration.
He expressed Jordan's readiness through the Ministry of Interior and its security agencies to contribute technical, operational and human expertise to support Syria's stability, development and institutional capacity-building.
Faraya stressed the importance of continued dialogue to address shared challenges and promote joint cooperation. He highlighted key areas that require intensified coordination, particularly the fight against drug trafficking.
Commending the high level of coordination already in place between the relevant agencies, he called for increased joint efforts to curb the threat.
The Jordanian minister underscored the need to boost trade between the two countries and resolve obstacles affecting the movement of goods and people.
These include infrastructure needs at border crossings, the expansion of human resources, extended operating hours and rehabilitation to accommodate future trade and transport developments.
For his part, Minister Khattab thanked Jordan for its continued support to Syria across multiple fields. He outlined the significant security challenges Syria faces and emphasised the need for joint cooperation to address them effectively.
Khattab pointed to opportunities for further collaboration between the two Interior Ministries, including enhanced intelligence sharing, development of border crossings and joint responses to cross-border threats.
He also highlighted ongoing joint efforts between Jordan and Syria to thwart drug smuggling operations.
The Syrian minister expressed interest in expanding cooperation on security training, proposing the signing of memoranda of understanding in areas such as the training and qualification of female police officers and the academic development of security personnel through officer exchange programmes.
Both sides discussed various customs and security challenges and agreed to develop appropriate solutions and alternatives. They agreed to form a joint technical committee to follow up on the issues raised during the meeting.
Following the talks, Khattab visited the King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein Training City in Muwaqqar District. The delegation toured the facilities and training grounds and received a briefing on the city's advanced training programmes, which align with the latest operational and academic standards.
The Syrian delegation visited the Gendarmerie Forces Command, where they were briefed on the unit's specialised roles, particularly in providing support and assistance to police, security and humanitarian operations.
The meeting, held in Amman, was attended by Director of Public Security Major General Obaidallah Maaytah and several Jordanian officials. From the Syrian side, attendees included Qutaiba Badawi, Chair of the General Authority for Land and Sea Ports; Khaled Barad, Assistant Chair for Customs Affairs; and a number of other Syrian officials.
//Petra// AK
