Albu Kamal crossing
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said on Monday he hoped the Albu Kamal border crossing with neighbouring Iraq would open as soon as possible.
"We look to the interests of both the Syrian and Iraqi people in opening the Albu Kamal crossing," Moualem told reporters at a joint conference with his Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari, who is visiting Damascus.
Jordan and Syria re-opened the Nassib border crossing on Monday.
The border crossing between Jordan and Syria officially opened to civilians and trade on Monday after being closed for three years.The Nassib crossing opened an 8 a.m. (0500 GMT), a border official on the Jordanian side in Jaber told Reuters, but added that there had been no traffic so far. One civilian could be seen waiting to cross.Jordanian state news agency Petra reported early on Monday that Jordan and Syria had agreed to open the border to all in a change from an earlier statement that normal traffic would not be allowed until a later date."We are fully ready to receive passengers and transport of goods," Imad Riyalat, head of the Jaber crossing, told Reuters. "We expect the traffic to be slow now at the start, but in coming days we expect passenger movement to pick up."Leader of Russia-backed Crimea to visit SyriaThe Syrian government retook the area around the Nassib border crossing with Jordan in July during a Russian-backed offensive to drive the oppositionnfrom their stronghold in southwest Syria. The civil war in Syria began more than seven years ago.The closure of the Nassib crossing in 2015 cut a crucial transit route for hundreds of trucks a day transporting goods between Turkey and the Gulf, and Lebanon and the Gulf, in multi-billion dollar annual trade.Since then, Syria's only normally operating frontier crossing has been with Lebanon, which itself has no other functioning land borders.Turkish soldiers at the ready for possible op in east of EuphratesOpening the border will also be important for Lebanon, which relies on Syria for overland connections to all other countries because its only other frontier is with Israel, with which it has no ties.Syrian state television footage showed the Syrian side of the crossing as being virtually empty, with just a couple of vehicles present. State news agency SANA said the logistical arrangements for opening the crossing had been completed."A Jordanian citizen may leave for Syria in their own car or as a regular passenger. Jordanian cargo is also allowed to leave for Syria according to the Jordanian-Syrian agreement," Petra said on Monday.Petra said Syrians entering Jordan must first obtain security clearance from Jordanian authorities. Turkey, US train for joint patrols in Syria's Manbij
Jordan and Syria reopen Nassib border crossing
The Quneitra border crossing between Syria and Israel-occupied Golan Heights reopened on Monday after it was closed four years ago.The crossing opening "will help implement the disengagement agreement in 1974 between Israel and Syria, which focuses on the identification of a buffer zone and an area free of military forces between the two countries,” the Israeli military said in a statement.“At this stage, the crossing will be used only by UN forces to cross from Israel to Syria and vice versa," it added.Jordan and Syria reopen Nassib border crossingIn 2014, the Israeli army closed the Quneitra border crossing for "security reasons".“This is a positive step from both Israel and Syria,” Kobi Marom, an Israeli commander in the area, was quoted as saying by Israeli army radio.“But there are still two common problems which is the Iranian presence and the risk of Hezbollah starting to build its infrastructure in the Golan Heights,” he added.Israel has occupied most of the Syrian Golan Heights since the 1967 Middle East War.On Monday, the Jaber-Naseeb border crossing between Syria and Jordan was reopened after a three-year closure.Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011 when the Bashr al-Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.
Syria, Israel reopen main border crossing
The minister said the government's next target after recovering Syria's Idlib from the opposition was the area east of the Euphrates, indicating territory held by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
"After Idlib our target is east of the Euphrates," said Walid al-Moualem, adding that the area, like all parts of Syria, had to return to Syrian sovereignty.