Amman, April 18 (Petra) – Chairman of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC), Senator Khalil Hajj Tawfiq, affirmed the Kingdom and Syria have entered a "deeper" phase in their relations at various levels, particularly the economic domain.
In remarks to "Petra," Hajj Tawfiq noted this development was further strengthened by His Majesty King Abdullah II's talks with the Syrian ministerial delegation that participated in the meetings of the Joint Higher Coordination Council held last Sunday in Amman.
Hajj Tawfiq stated His Majesty's remarks during the meeting were "clear" on the necessity of strengthening bilateral trade relations.
He added that the commercial and service sectors have grasped the Royal directive and will exert every effort to establish a "clear" path for bilateral economic relations that serve mutual interests.
He noted: "A visit to Syria will take place next week to coordinate with the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce to form a joint Jordanian-Syrian Business Council." This council, he noted, aims to enhance the joint relations, aligning with directives of the two countries' leadership and the official framework that led to signing memoranda of understanding and an agreement.
Additionally, he stressed the necessity of achieving bilateral economic unity and integration and moving beyond mere exchanges of goods and commodities.
He affirmed that the JCC does not view the principle of reciprocity as a means to build Jordanian-Syrian economic partnerships.
"Jordan supports Syria until it reaches the stage of recovery and the establishment of a new state," he pointed out.
He emphasized that the Jordanian private sector is "eager" to be a partner in the reconstruction of Syria and support its efforts.
On its role, he said the joint council will assume a "significant" responsibility in leading development of relations and serving as the driving force for economic growth between the two countries.
He pointed out that the two countries' private sector is required to present proposals to decision-makers to strengthen bilateral economic relations to address challenges and difficulties facing them in sectors, such as trade and transportation, and contribute to implementation of memoranda of understanding.
Hajj Tawfiq urged the private sector to capitalize on the high-level political momentum between the two countries, which was evident during the discussions of the second session of the Joint Higher Coordination Council.
He referred to a "genuine" will to remove any obstacles, urging the private sector's presence at technical talks to ensure its participation in implementing agreements concluded at the governmental level.
Based on statistics compiled by "Petra," Jordan-Syria trade volume surged last year, reaching JD334 million, compared to JD116 million in 2024.
According to foreign trade figures released by the Department of Statistics, the Kingdom's exports to Syria increased by 47.4% in January of this year, 2026, reaching JD28 million, compared to JD19 million for the same period in 2025.
//Petra// AG
