The foreign ministers of Syria and Jordan met in Damascus Monday for the first time since Jordanian airstrikes killed 20 people last month, announcing a joint investigation and 11 new cooperation agreements.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said Jordan showed understanding and openness to resolve the incident in Daraa province, adding the two countries set up a joint security and technical committee to investigate the airstrikes.
Jordan said its Oct. 26 strikes targeted the Daesh terrorist group linked to a deadly attack on a church in Karak province. Syrian authorities said the strikes killed seven civilians, including three children.
"Work is underway to redress the harm and compensate the innocent victims," al-Shaibani told a joint news conference with his counterpart Ayman Safadi.
The conference followed the third session of the Syria-Jordan Higher Coordination Council, attended by high-level ministerial and technical delegations from both countries.
"Syrian blood is as precious to us as Jordanian blood," Safadi said, renewing his condolences to al-Shaibani and the victims' families. He added bilateral ties were strong.
The meeting marked an effort to move past a rare diplomatic test for Damascus and Amman, which have expanded political, economic and security cooperation since the overthrow of the Bashar Assad regime in December 2024.
Al-Shaibani said bilateral relations were at their strongest in decades. The two countries, he added, signed 11 cooperation documents covering investment, civil aviation, food security, cloud seeding in the River Yarmouk basin and a proposed railway connection linking Saudi Arabia to Türkiye through Jordan and Syria.
Trade between the two countries nearly tripled last year to $330 million, he said. He added that 20 of Syria's 22 ministries are now engaged in direct cooperation with Jordan.
Safadi said the two countries are working together to combat drug trafficking, a longstanding security concern along their shared border.
He also reaffirmed Jordan's support for Syria against Israeli attacks, urging international intervention to halt them before they push the region to further escalation.
