Jordan, Syria reopen border
Jordan hopes to make up for lost time as a key border crossing with Syria reopens for the first time since the Syrian civil war erupted in 2011.
Jordan and Syria reopened a major border crossing on Oct. 15 after more than a month of bilateral technical talks. The Jaber/Nassib border crossing had been closed for the past three years since rebels took control of the Syrian side in April 2015. Jordan insisted that it would open the border point only when the Syrian government regained control, which it did in July.
The crossing is a vital commercial artery not only for the two countries' bilateral trade, estimated at $750 million in 2010, but for the whole region. Since 2011, Syria’s losses from the border closure were estimated at $5 billion, while the kingdom lost $800 million and Lebanon $900 million.
