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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Jordanian deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh will travel to Moscow on Thursday to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and several Russian officials.

Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sabah al-Rafei told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that Judeh will discuss with his Russian counterpart ways to improve bilateral relations and issues of common interest, mainly the Syrian crisis and the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.

In a related development, informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the discussions between Judeh and Lavrov will focus on three main issues. Jordan will try to consolidate the agreements reached with the Russians late last year to keep Syria’s southern border calm so that more refugees do not enter Jordan.

The sources said that Judeh will stress during the meeting on the agreement reached between Jordan and Russia in October last year after which the Jordanian military’s chief of staff visited Moscow to discuss the details of the deal.

Jordan wants to receive assurances that the moderate opposition will not suffer from losses because it will have a role in any future political agreement.

The country had warned the Syrian regime and the opposition alike not to fight close to the border with Jordan after shells reached Jordanian towns and villages near the frontier.

The sources said that the peace process and its repercussions will as well be the subject of discussion between Judeh and his Russian counterpart.

Bilateral relations and ways to improve them will also be under discussion, they said, in particular that Jordan is seeking to lure Russian tourists and export its agricultural products to Russia.

The two countries have also been involved in huge projects such as building a 10 billion dollar nuclear reactor, the sources added.

*Asharq Al-Awsat