Opposition's Qudsi visits Jordan with full agenda

Translation by Yusra Ahmed

AMMAN (Zaman Alwasl)- Deputy Prime Minister of the opposition interim government made a visit to Jordan days before expelling Syria’s ambassador and appointing a representative for National Coalition, sources told Zaman Alwasl.

Mr. Iyad Qudsi's visit has included meetings with Jordanian officials, humanitarian organizations and Syrian community in Jordan.

Qudsi also held meetings with the local councils from Daraa, Quneitra, Damascus countryside, and the office of Ministry of Health that work in the headquarter building in Amman.

Source said Qudsi visit was extended due to the latest developments.

Jordan said on Monday it was expelling Syria's ambassador for accusing the kingdom of backing Syrian rebels, prompting Damascus to retaliate by barring Jordan's top diplomat, according to Reuters.

On the same day, King Abdullah II approved Syrian opposition to open a formal mission in the kingdom.

The Coalition said that Mr. Mohamed al-Merwih, 36 year-old, will be its envoy to Amman in agreement with Jordanian authorities, according to Zaman Alwasl source.

Jordan has avoided publicly supporting Syrian rebels fighting to overthrow Assad, calling instead for a political solution to a war that has cost over 100,000 lives.

The kingdom has harbored more than one million refugees from neighboring Syria's civil war.

In a tit-for-tat move, neighboring Syria declared Jordan's charge d'affaires in Damascus persona non grata in response for what it said was an unjustified move to expel its ambassador, Syrian state television said.Jordan is torn by conflicting interests over Syria.

It has tried to steer a middle course between that of Gulf Arab allies who want Assad ousted at almost any cost and its own concerns - echoed by Washington - that a radical Islamist victory in Syria would install a worse threat. (With Reuters)