Jordan fully reopens main crossing with Syria

Jordanian officials have urged the US to ease sanctions on Syria in efforts to boost cross-border trade.

Jordan fully reopened its main border crossing with Syria on Wednesday in a boost for their struggling economies following a push by Arab states to reintegrate a country they have shunned during its decade-long war.

Syria, which blames Western sanctions for its economic woes, hopes wider business links with its southern neighbour will help it recover from a devastating war and attract much-needed foreign currency.

“The aim of these understandings is to boost trade exchange between the two countries to achieve the interests of every party,” Jordan’s minister of industry and trade, Maha Ali, told state-owned al-Mamlaka television.