We have ‘no ambitions in Syria, no connections and no spies’ — PM

AMMAN ─ Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Wednesday said Jordan has “no ambitions, no links and no spies” in Syria, reiterating Jordan's support of a political solution in Syria since the beginning of the crisis there.    

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart Tammam Salam that was held at the conclusion of the Joint Jordanian-Lebanese Higher Committee meetings, Ensour stressed that Syria's security and stability are in the best interest of Jordan.

Jordan has not approached any organisations in Syria and does not have the funds to finance any of them, the premier added, and this “does not undermine Jordan’s image, whereas other parties have the funds, organisations and multiple players” inside Syria, he said.  

Ensour noted that the border with Syria extends around 380km and there are tens of combating parties just across it.

“Our intervention does not exceed offering a wise piece of advice and seek support for our safety. It is never a bloody intervention,” the premier added.  

Jordan does not interfere in the affairs of others and it is not a crossing point or a headquarters for any parties that act against any of its neighbours, Arabs or others, Ensour told reporters, noting that any uncalculated error is prone to push any country into war.  

The crisis in Syria has had grave repercussions that have impacted Jordan, he pointed out, citing four years of high alert of the military and security agencies, the disruption of transportation between Jordan and Syria, Lebanon and south Europe, thus adding more costs on the economy, Ensour elaborated.

Aviation companies were also forced to change their routes, thousands of Jordanian students were forced to return home from Syrian and Lebanese universities and 1.4 million Syrian refugees are hosted in Jordan, along with two million Palestinian refugees, half-a-million Iraqi refugees and tens of thousands of Yemeni and Libyan refugees, said the premier. 

For his part, Salam expressed hope that Jordan and Lebanon will be able to overcome the repercussions of the crisis in Syria that have weighed heavily on the two countries as they are the closest to Syria, in terms of their geographic location, and economic and social ties. 

Salam thanked Jordan for its constant support of Lebanon through supporting its army and security forces in several areas, especially in the fight against terrorism.

At the end of the joint panel’s meeting, both sides signed eight memoranda of understanding (MoU) and executive programmes that included an MoU on cooperation in the youth field and another on cooperation in the radio and television fields.

They also signed a cooperation programme between the Jordan News Agency, Petra, and the Lebanese national press agency.

The deals included a cooperation protocol in the fields of energy planning and renewable energy, and a similar deal in social development, in addition to an executive programme on tourism cooperation between 2015 and 2020.

Jordan and Lebanon also signed an MoU for cooperation and exchanging expertise in public administration development and another memorandum between the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply and the Lebanese Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Ensour and Salam signed the meeting minutes.