Ministry summons Syrian diplomat over remarks

AMMAN — The Foreign Ministry on Sunday summoned the Syrian Chargé d’Affaires to Jordan Ayman Alloush, conveying to him utter condemnation of the remarks that he has made about the Kingdom and its pan-Arab stances.

The ministry told him that he has to commit to the diplomatic conventions and standards in his press statements and that it would take the necessary measures in accordance with diplomatic norms in case he repeated the remarks. 

During a seminar in Amman on Saturday, Alloush expressed doubts over Jordan’s participation in the 1973 war against Israel, saying that he “did not hear about such participation”.

“The Jordanian Air Force did not shoot one bullet during the war,” said the diplomat, as cited in local reports. 

The new episode in Jordan-Syria ties came amid reportedly improving ties between the two neighbours, especially after Jordan, the US and Russia succeeded in creating and sustaining a “replicable” de-escalation zone in southwestern Syria.  

The two sides are currently in talks to reach a final decision over the reopening of the Jaber border crossing with Syria, a senior official has said.

“Talks over the issue are under way on a tactical level,” he told The Jordan Times on Saturday.