Amman steps up diplomatic representation in Syria

By Laith al-Junaidi

AMMAN (AA) - Jordan has stepped up its diplomatic representation in Damascus to the level of charge d'affaires, Jordan’s Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday.

“A charge d'affaires has been appointed to the Jordanian embassy in Damascus,” ministry spokesman Sufian Qudah said in a statement.

The spokesman refrained, however, from providing the newly-appointed diplomat’s name.

Following the eruption of the Syria conflict in 2011, relations between Damascus and Amman soured, especially after the latter expelled Syria’s ambassador to Jordan in 2014.

Relations have gradually warmed, however, with the two neighbors officially reopening their shared border last October.

Other Arab states, too, have recently signaled their willingness to restore diplomatic ties with Syria.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir paid a visit to Damascus late last year. Not long afterward, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain both announced plans to reopen their respective embassies in Syria.