His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday met with the president and members of the National Union Party (Al Ittihad Al Watani) parliamentary bloc at Al Husseiniya Palace.

Emphasising that Jordan’s security and higher interests are above any consideration, King Abdullah said,"Our confidence in the people of Jordan is immeasurable and deep-rooted and we rely mainly on our people’s high level of awareness and alertness as we combat terrorism and extremism," noting that the country remains a target of terrorist groups.

His Majesty lauded the Jordan Armed Forces and security apparatuses for being "constantly up to the task and highly prepared to deal with all situations and challenges and protect the country and citizens".

The King noted that the Jordanian army is adhering to its Arab and Islamic legacy in defending the causes of the Ummah, adding that Jordan's participation in the international coalition against terrorism was "not an easy decision".

“But the repeated attempts against the Kingdom’s borders and security required a firm response to bring an end to such practices,” King Abdullah asserted.

To this end, he called for strengthening the Kingdom’s internal front to defeat terrorism through a comprehensive strategy that focuses on educational and intellectual programmes.

His Majesty pointed out that terrorism “has no religion or boundaries” and that terrorists pose a threat to Muslims before anyone else, stressing that “we are fighting a battle in the name of true and moderate Islam against extremists who hijacked our faith, which promotes tolerance”.

Regarding the latest regional developments, the King reiterated Jordan’s constant stands seeking to bring about peace and stability in the region. King Abdullah cited the “pivotal role Jordan is playing in supporting every effort that leads to peaceful and political solutions to all issues”.

His Majesty warned that the failure to work out permanent peaceful solutions to the ongoing crises would drag the region into more complicated conflicts.

The King underscored Jordan’s political efforts to rally international endeavours to push for the resumption of Mideast peace negotiations that address all final-status issues and meet the legitimate aspirations of Palestinians in ending the Israeli occupation and establishing their independent state based on the two-state solution, relevant international resolutions and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.

On the developments in Syria, His Majesty stressed the need to come up with a comprehensive political solution to the crisis that would end the suffering of the Syrian people.

The King called on the international community to help Jordan carry on with its humanitarian role towards the Syrian refugees.

King Abdullah underlined Jordan’s commitment to supporting the unity of Iraq to reach a national consensus over the approach to the challenges facing the eastern neighbor.

His Majesty pointed to the important role state institutions play, including the Lower House, in strengthening the internal front and improving its cohesion in facing different challenges imposed by the regional situation.

The King underlined that the comprehensive reform process was based on a vision to turn the country into a modern democratic state while preserving its historical and national principles and values.

To this effect, His Majesty stressed that the economic situation tops all priorities and is deemed as the key challenge that should be dealt with immediately.

The King added that this requires joint efforts to address domestic woes such as poverty and unemployment, in addition to improving the performance of workers in the public sector.

Discussions at the meeting also covered the energy file, with His Majesty stressing the importance of starting renewable energy projects in the governorates.

For their part, members of the bloc outlined their viewpoints vis-à-vis national issues, focusing on the economic aspect and investment.

The bloc consists of 14 deputies and is headed by Deputy Mohammad Khashman (National Union Party list).