Syria President Bashar al-Assad
After years of isolation, Syria’s border crossings are under the spotlight once again with some of them reopening as the Syrian government gains the upper hand in the more than seven-year-long war.
On Monday, the key border crossing of Nasib between Syria and Jordan was reopened for the first time since its closure in 2015, when the rebels took control of the town of Nasib and the crossing, which is under the same name, in the southern province of Daraa.
The Syrian Army captured Nasib in July after dislodging the rebels from the southern province of Daraa.
The crossing is the only conduit between Syria and Jordan and is also considered one of the most important land crossings in the Middle East as it was the main crossing for exports from Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria to the Gulf states and vice versa.
The crossing brings billions of U.S. dollars in trade revenue to Syria as well as neighboring and regional countries.
Tens of people crossed the border to Syria on Monday after it was officially reopened. Also, economic delegation exchanged visits through the crossing.
State news agency SANA said the Syrian side entered truckloads of 21 tons of fruits as a gift to the economic delegations in Jordan and in return, the Jordanian side entered a truckload of dates to Syria.
Also Monday, Syria has officially reopened the crossing between the southern province of Quneitra and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The Quneitra crossing was the only crossing for the Syrians in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights to enter Syria but not for the Syrians inside Syria as they are not allowed to enter the Israeli-occupied territory.
Syrian students from Golan Heights had used this crossing ahead of the Syrian crisis to study in Syria as the government has provided them with exceptional facilitations to seek education in their motherland.
Also, marriages had taken place between Syrians in Golan and Quneitra in the past.
There had been instances ahead of the Syrian war when apples harvested in Golan would be sold inside Syria through the crossing.
As the crossing has been officially reopened, Golan students are expected to visit Syria through Quneitra after they had gone through long trips through Jordan to come to Syria by airplanes. -Xinhua
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