Syria sees ‘no reason’ to open crossing with Jordan yet – minister

Syria’s economy minister said he sees no reason yet to re-open the Nassib crossing with Jordan, Lebanon’s NNA news agency said on Wednesday. “Our study of the opening of the Nassib crossing found there is currently no big value for Syrian products and the issue needs further study,” Samer Khalil said after meeting Lebanese Industry Minister Hussein Hajj Hassan in Damascus. The Nassib crossing was closed in 2015 when captured by rebels, cutting a major transit route for hundreds of trucks a day transporting goods between Turkey and the Gulf, and between Lebanon and the Gulf, Reuters said. Those trade routes had already been disrupted by Syria’s seven-year war, hurting regional economies. Lebanon’s economy minister said in July the crossing was “a vital artery” for the Lebanese economy.