Jordan reopened its border crossing with Iraq on Wednesday – three years after ISIL began disrupting commerce along the route, and two years after Iraq shut it down. This comes as Saudi Arabia also reopened its border with Iraq after a decades-long closure, signaling thawing of relations and battleground victories against ISIL. CGTN's Stephanie Freid on the Jordan-Iraq border has this report.

 

Now that Iraqi forces have retaken control of the main Baghdad highway from ISIL, the official word is Jordan-Iraq border activity can resume. But after three years of ISIL control combined with an Iraqi offensive to retake the border, officials admit safety in the vicinity cannot be guaranteed.

 

MOHAMMED HALBOUSI GOVERNOR, ANBAR PROVINCE, IRAQ "We must make a plan for protection for the next time. To protect the road from any daesh movement again."

 

Battles to wrest control of ISIL held areas in Iraq's Tal Afar and Syria's Raqqa areas continue. Saudi Arabia is also reopening its border with Iraq - after a twenty-seven-year shutdown that started during Saddam Hussein's rule. Both re-openings are not strictly tied to ISIL defeats.

 

STEPHANIE FREID IRAQ-JORDAN BORDER "There's also speculation that the timing of reopening this border concommittant with reopening Iraq's border with saudi arabia has to do with pulling iraqi relations away from Iran."

 

Iran-Iraq ties have grown closer in recent years - a concern for some regional countries, including Saudi Arabia, when it comes to economic power and alliances. Saudi Arabia also announced it will establish a joint trade commission with Iraq. In Jordan, the business sector is eager to see overland commercial activity resume - Iraq is the Hashemite Kingdom's export market - more than half a billion dollars per year in revenue was lost with the border closure.

 

TAREK H. TABBA JORDANIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE "It's a huge market. It's one of our best markets. That's why we all came here today as the private and public sector to celebrate this and…you know…make sure that things go in the right direction asap. We can't wait anymore."

 

With the re-opening, the waiting is ostensibly over and the shift is toward sustaining commercial ties and maintaining stability. Stephanie Freid, CGTN, on the border between Jordan & Iraq.