‘Jordan achieved a lot in a decade’

His Majesty King Abdullah meets with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London on Tuesday (Photo by Yousef Allan)

AMMAN (JT) – His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday said Jordan has witnessed many drastic transformations in terms of development, modernisation and reform over the past decade.

In an interview with Al Hayat newspaper, the Monarch highlighted the progress the Kingdom has made in economic development, infrastructure development, the education and health sectors, and citizens’ empowerment, while preserving the security and stability of the country and building on what has been achieved.

King Abdullah stressed that several megaprojects are being implemented in the Kingdom, which will cost $15 billion over the next years, underlining the significance of the projects in reviving the national economy and meeting Jordan’s essential needs in the field of energy and other economic sectors.

The Monarch highlighted that reform and improving the economic situation are linked to stability, stressing that work is under way to establish “mechanisms that allow us to develop our country and improve Jordanians’ standard of living and provide our citizens with best opportunities for achievement and creativity”.

King Abdullah pointed to economic and non-economic indicators that show that the growth rate exceeded 6 per cent during the past decade, during which exports rose by 100 per cent, whereas foreign investment stood at $2 billion annually.

In response to a question regarding the idea of an “alternative homeland” for the Palestinian people in Jordan, the Monarch stressed that the alternative homeland is “not part of [Jordanians’] dictionary”, noting that Jordan does not fear this idea, which he said is unfortunately still raised by sceptics inside the Kingdom.

He underlined that Jordan is capable of protecting itself and its interests.

King Abdullah stressed that the two-state solution is the only choice that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on Palestinian national soil.

Describing the developments in the world and the region over the past 10 years, the King said it was a tremendously difficult period, with major transformations and momentous events in Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan and other countries.

He noted that the past decade also required “deep and serious thinking about how to deal with these events in a way that preserves Arab interests and achieves security, stability and the development that the Arab people and their countries deserve”.

“We have worked and continue to work to address the consequences of these events,” the King said, adding: “The challenge lies in maintaining coordination and consultation among us as Arabs, not just to overcome the repercussions of these difficult transformations, but to draw lessons from the past and to be better prepared to protect our interests in the future.”

King Abdullah described the relationship between the Kingdom and Saudi Arabia as “excellent”, noting that it is stable and solid and constantly expanding.

“My relationship with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques is truly brotherly and deep. We constantly coordinate and consult with each other, and we regularly have candid discussions about issues that are of mutual interest and that concern our bilateral ties and regional and international issues. We also highly appreciate the unwavering support Jordan receives from Saudi Arabia under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques,” the Monarch said.

The King stressed that Jordan’s relationship with Syria is strong and warm and based on cooperation, adding that his relationship with President Bashar Assad is very strong and that he and Syrian president are keen to develop bilateral ties at all levels.

Underlining the strong relationship between Jordan and Iraq, King Abdullah said the Kingdom is extremely keen on Iraq’s security and stability, expressing his hope that Iraq will regain its stability and prestige in order for its people to live in their own country where security, peace and equality prevail.

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