His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday underlined that comprehensive, evolutionary and continuous reform is a main fixture in the Kingdom’s democratic drive.

At a meeting with members of the Lower House’s Islamic Centrist Party bloc at Al Husseiniya Palace, King Abdullah called for fostering cooperation between the legislative, executive and judicial authorities to advance the development process.

Citizens’ trust in state institutions is a prerequisite for the success of this process, His Majesty said.

The King stressed the importance of integration between all branches of government to reach a high level of coordination and consensus over the various issues of national interest.

His Majesty underlined the significant role the two chambers of Parliament play, especially as they are currently look into laws that are at the core of political reform during the ongoing extraordinary session’s agenda, urging the legislators to expedite their endorsement to serve the public interest.

The King noted that addressing the “difficult” economic situation and other challenges facing Jordan remains a top priority, pointing out that the government is preparing a 10-year economic blueprint in cooperation with all public and private stakeholders.

His Majesty reviewed some of the obstacles facing the national economy, especially in the areas of energy, poverty, unemployment, budget deficit and indebtedness, calling for accelerating the implementation of alternative and renewable energy projects, in addition to development schemes in the governorates.

Encouraging and attracting investments to the Kingdom is also a priority in the current stage in order to develop the governorates through implementing job-generating projects and helping to tackle poverty and unemployment, while improving citizens’ overall living standards, the King told the deputies.

Regarding Mideast peace efforts, His Majesty underscored Jordan’s commitment to continued cooperation with all stakeholders, noting that Amman is continually updated with the developments related to the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.

On the situation in Syria, the King warned against further spillover of the crisis into the region and its people, particularly when it comes to the Syrian refugees’ influx, citing the pressure mounting on the infrastructure and services sector, mainly in the northern and central governorates.

For their part, the bloc members commended His Majesty’s approach, presenting their ideas and suggestions to deal with the issues raised.

They underlined the importance of decentralisation in successful local administration and highlighted obstacles facing the agriculture, education and energy sectors.