Russia is committed to deal on de-escalation zone — ambassador

AMMAN — Russia is committed to the deal on the de-escalation zone and continued cooperation and coordination with Jordan, Russian Ambassador in Amman Boris Bolotin said. 

“There is very effective coordination on the Syrian crisis and we stand for a political solution to it. There is no alternative to that in Syria… At the political and military levels, Russia is working with Jordan through bilateral channels,” the ambassador said in an interview with The Jordan Times on the occasion of the national day, which falls on June 12.

Russia is also working at the trilateral level through the Amman based monitoring centre, which seeks to monitor what is happening in the zone in the south of Syria, he said, expressing Russia’s readiness to carry out a tripartite meeting on the zone.

The tripartite deal, which was signed in Amman last year, entailed a ceasefire along a line of contact agreed upon between Syrian government forces and associated troops on one side and rebels on the other.

“The Syrian government has a sovereign right to retake control of the south. I think it will happen sooner or later and it can be achieved by a peaceful and political means, through dialogue, for example by reconciliation except with terrorist groups,” he said.

The ambassador, who said this year marks the 55th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, indicated that Jordan and Russia have “close stances” on the Palestinian issue, which he labeled as “the core issue in the Middle East”.

“We support the two-state solution, which is a worldwide recognised solution… this solution should be in line with relevant UN resolutions and the Arab peace initiative,” Bolotin stated, voicing appreciation for Jordan’s role in attaining regional peace and combating extremism.

On bilateral ties, the ambassador said the potential for increasing cooperation in the field of tourism and trade was “huge”.

"Relations by His Majesty King Abdullah and Russian President Vladimir Putin are distinguished and the ties between Jordan and Russia are strong," he said.

There is potential for an increase in trade volume and in commodity exports such as textile, pharmaceuticals and vegetables from Jordan to Russia.

Trade exchange during the first quarter of this year reached $101 million, compared to $278 million last year, according to official figures.

The ambassador noted that around 70,000 Russians visited Jordan last year, a higher number compared to 2016.

“We expect the number to increase this year and the figures can be increased by more promotion of Jordan’s tourist attractions…Many people in Russia are fond of visiting the Dead Sea and Aqaba,” he commented, outlining a potential for increased cooperation in religious tourism.

On education, he said Russia provides 100 scholarships every year for Jordanians students in various areas, noting that Jordanians who studied in Soviet Russian universities were more than 20,000, and around 1,500 Jordanians at present.