His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday voiced confidence in the success of Jordan’s political reform process.
During a meeting with Jordan Press Association President Tareq Momani, directors of official media outlets and chief editors of Jordanian dailies, King Abdullah said the outcome of the National Dialogue Committee’s deliberations on the new elections and political parties’ laws will be announced soon.
Also, the Royal committee entrusted with reviewing the Constitution will continue with its thorough work, he said, stressing his full support for the two committees to arrive at results that serve citizens and boost the country’s drive towards development.
The King also said that in recent meetings to discuss the national economy, he has sensed anxiety about the country’s economic among citizens, officials and representatives of the private sector, adding that the greatest concern is about the unprecedented increase in the budget deficit.
King Abdullah said the global financial crisis adversely impacted the performance of the national economy and citizens’ economic and living conditions.
Attracting Arab and foreign investments to the Kingdom to provide job opportunities “is a priority for us at the present time”, he told the press.
Jordan needs to provide 60,000 jobs annually in the Kingdom, “and the [Jordanian] private sector cannot provide more than 10,000,” he added.
The King underscored his support for combating corruption, but cautioned that calls to prosecute the corrupt without sufficient evidence threatens to distort the country’s image and amounts to character assassination.
This will adversely impact the confidence of Arab and foreign investors in Jordan, “which we pin many hopes on to provide job opportunities for [Jordanians] and to combat poverty and unemployment,” he added.
During the meeting, King Abdullah also stressed his support for responsible press freedom and media organisations that are committed to seeking the truth and that place the interests of the country and the people above all other considerations.
He emphasised the media’s responsibility to eschew unprofessional and unethical practices, adding that such practices have had a negative effect on the investment climate in the Kingdom.
The King also briefed journalists on his scheduled visits to London and Washington during which he will meet with British Prime Minister David Cameron and US President Barack Obama.
The latest developments in the region, means to achieve just and comprehensive Middle East peace that regains the legitimate rights of the Palestinians and means to boost bilateral relations, especially in the economic fields, will top the agenda of talks during the two visits.
Also Tuesday, the King chaired a meeting with several government officials, which focused on economic challenges and means to encourage investments in the country, according to the statement.
Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit emphasised the role of the media in this regard, adding that the government will provide all facilities for businessmen and investors to achieve that goal.
The government will also work to protect citizens and state institutions from any unprofessional practices, including blackmail exercised by some writers, under the pretext of freedom of expression, to serve certain agendas, he added.