Jordan and Syria leaders agree to strengthen border security

At a meeting with Sharaa in Amman on Wednesday, the Jordanian king also condemned Israel's strikes late on Tuesday on southern Damascus and in southern Syria near the Jordan border, the latest in a series of Israeli attacks on Syrian lands, News.Az reports citing foreign media.

The leaders agreed that coordination was crucial for border security and for curbing arms and drug smuggling, a phenomenon that Jordan struggled to contain along its border during the rule of the Bashar al Assad regime, the palace added.

Jordan has blamed the rampant drug and weapons smuggling on pro-Iranian militias that held sway in southern Syria during Assad's time. Alsharaa pledged to stamp it out.

The visit is the new interim leader's third foreign trip along with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye since he came to power after leading the anti-regime groups that ousted the Assad regime.

Assad's relationships with most of the Arab world and his neighbours were strained throughout the nearly 14-year Syrian civil war.

Jordan, which hosted the first international conference on Syria a week after Assad was forced to flee, wants to see a peaceful political transition in Syria, fearing a return of chaos and instability along its borders.

The king welcomed the outcome of a landmark national dialogue conference held at the presidential palace in Damascus on Tuesday, saying it was "an important step towards rebuilding Syria to attain the aspirations of the Syrian people."

Jordanian officials have said they were ready to help Syria rebuild and promised to help it ease its acute power shortages by supplying it with electricity and gas.