After weeks of avoiding public comment on Moscow’s military intervention in Syria that started Sept. 30, Jordan and Russia made a surprise announcement Oct. 23 that both countries had agreed on military coordination in Syria through a joint mechanism.

The announcement was made in Vienna during a press conference held by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Jordanian counterpart, Nasser Joudeh. The latter said that he hoped that “coordination between the Jordanian and the Russian armies will be effective against terrorists of all shades,” adding, “There are deep coordination channels between Jordan and Russia over Syria.”

Lavrov said that under the agreement, “The militaries of the two countries have agreed to coordinate their actions, including military aircraft missions over Syrian territory.”

On the same day in Amman, government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani told Ammon news agency that coordination with Russia “aims at safeguarding the kingdom’s northern borders and stability in southern Syria.” But he stressed that Jordan remains part of the international anti-terrorism coalition.