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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - His Majesty King Abdullah II, on Wednesday, met with a number of former prime ministers and political figures for a discussion on local, regional and international issues.

The King told the meeting that security, economic and social challenges facing the Kingdom require all to stand together to address them, stressing the importance of upgrading security measures to deal better with any internal threat to the nation's security.

His Majesty said: "Our security agencies deliver daily successes, that we don't make public", adding that challenges on the Kingdom's northern frontiers require the readiness of the armed forces and security agencies, still, "We are not worried about our ability to deal with them".

King Abdullah emphasized that all competent institutions should take the necessary measures to promote the rule of law and preserve its prestige. He indicated that a royal committee is working to develop the judiciary and uphold the rule of law.

Speaking on other local issues, His Majesty said the economy remains the "biggest challenge" and underlined the important role the private sector plays in generating jobs and spurring growth to ultimately address the poverty and unemployment problems.

Regarding Jordan's relationship with the new U.S. administration, His Majesty said there will be extensive contacts with the U.S. administration and congress in the next stage to build on the strategic relationship between the two countries. Hem also noted that Jordan is always in contact with Russia. Turning to the peace process, the King warned that despair and the absence of alternatives to the two-state solution threaten peace efforts. He stressed the importance of Jerusalem for all Muslims and warned of tampering with the current status of the holy city. On Iraq, His Majesty said it's important to bring about national reconciliation in this Arab country which should be supported in an upcoming Arab summit that will be in Amman in March. He said: "We have no agendas in Iraq except its people's interest and stability." As for the Syrian crisis, the King stressed the importance of a developed Russian-U.S. relationship in the next stage to find a solution to this crisis.

Speaking on Libya, King Abdullah said Jordan is working with a number of parties to bring about stability in North African Arab nation and said this is important to combat terrorism and support regional stability. With regard to the forthcoming summit, His Majesty indicated that Jerusalem, the Palestinian cause, Syria and Iraq and the fight against terrorism will figure high on the summit's agenda.