Jordan, Russia agree on military coordination in Syria

AMMAN - Jordan and Russia have agreed to coordinate their military actions on Syria by setting up a "special working mechanism" in Amman, according to senior officials from the two countries.

"The military coordination mechanism between Jordan and Russia concerns southern Syria and aims to ensure security of the Kingdom's northern frontiers," Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Momani said.

Momani said coordination between the two countries  is not new as it takes place at all levels.

"Jordan remains an active member of the international coalition fighting Da'esh terror group," the minister told The Jordan Times Friday.

This statement was echoed the same day by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Vienna.

Russia, which is bombing rebel targets in Syria in support of its ally President Bashar Assad, has already forged close cooperation with the governments of Iraq, Syria and Iran, which are all part of a loose Shiite alliance pursuing different aims from those of the United States and its allies.

So Moscow's deal with Jordan could mark a shift in the alliances engaged in the Syria conflict, according to a dispatch by Reuters news agency from Moscow.

"The military of the two countries have agreed to coordinate their actions through a working mechanism in Amman, capital of Jordan," Lavrov said in comments broadcast by Rossiya-24 television channel.

"We think that other states that participate in the anti- terrorist fight can join this mechanism as well," Lavrov added.

Lavrov, who gave no further details, was speaking in Vienna, where he was attending talks with senior officials from the United States, Turkey and Saudi Arabia to explore a political solution to Syria's civil war.

Russia has rejected Western calls for Assad to step down, saying Syria's leadership can only be decided by the Syrian people via elections, and in the clearest sign of its backing, Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted him in Moscow this week.