Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - King Abdullah II affirmed that the Arab summit in Kuwait comes at a time when the Arab world is facing critical challenges against a backof ongoing regional and global changes, most notably the tensions and competition among key world powers and enormous economic and security challenges.

The King added in an interview with the London-based Al Hayat Newspaper Chief Editor Ghassan Charbel which was published on Saturday that the summit also coincides with Arab countries’ dire need to restore the momentum of joint action as a framework to address the challenges at hand".

King Abdullah II said :" in my meeting with President Obama, I focused on the centrality of the issue and the link between security and stability of the region and beyond with a just and comprehensive solution. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the longest-lived in the region, and so the ensuing injustice continues. Solving this conflict will be a prerequisite to addressing several other challenges in the region".

He added "I also stressed the importance of upholding Jordanian interests in final status issues because in order to have a just and sustainable solution, the higher interests of Jordan, related to final issues, must be guaranteed, especially for Jerusalem, refugees, borders, security and water".

Talking about Obama's visit to Saudi Arabia soon, the monarch expressed hope" that the visit will be another positive point in the historical and strategic relationship between the United States and our brothers in Saudi Arabia", adding "in my last meeting with President Obama, I sensed how highly he values the importance of the Gulf States and their leaders and how keen he is to strengthen the strategic and historical ties between the two sides".

On the Syrian crisis, he said "I do not think that Syria is able to continue in a conflict at this pace and intensity of violence for many more years because it threatens to tear apart the social fabric of the country and completely destroy its structure and institutions, sliding further into a "failed state" scenario, God forbid".

The King further added "we must not allow this conflict to persist .All Arab countries, concerned neighbours and the international community should exert sincere and concerted efforts to end all aspects of the conflict, address the tragedy of Syrian refugees and work for a successful political solution, leading to a comprehensive transitional phase agreed upon by all components of Syrian society, thus ensuring the unity and sovereignty of Syria and representing the entire spectrum of the Syrian people. This process must be based on home-grown re-building efforts".

His Majesty stressed that all division scenarios will have a catastrophic impact on Syria and the region. "The division and disintegration will result in unstable entities that will constitute a security and humanitarian burden on Syria's neighbours and potentially fuelling dangerous separatist tendencies in the region," he added.

On the peace process between the Palestinians and the Israelis, the king said," sustainable peace requires the involvement of Jordan and ensuring its higher interests. We will not accept, by any means, any solution that comes at the expense of Jordan and its people", adding there is a real opportunity at hand today to work out a just and comprehensive peaceful solution. Jordan is playing a constructive role in bringing divergent views closer and finding solutions to ensure the right of Palestinians to a sovereign state, according to the Arab Peace Initiative, and the necessary security guarantees for the stability of all countries in the region." Answering a question about the so-called "alternative homeland" King Abdullah II said, "If what is meant by the alternative homeland is the illusions promoted by Israeli hardliners, who are bent on the possibility of de-populating Palestinian territories of its people, forcing them into Jordan, these are, without a single doubt, illusions. The international situation, the present circumstances, Jordanian nationalism, the Jordanian state and its established institutions as well as Palestinian nationalism are all the rock on which these illusions will collide and shatter".

"On the other hand, if the talk about alternative homeland is being used to spread the poisonous idea of a political quota system in Jordan and divide people to incite them on the basis of origins and regions, then the Jordanian people from all backgrounds will reject such a destructive discourse because our national identity is inclusive. Over the years of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and even in years following Jordan’s peace treaty with Israel, Jordan has been committed to positions and policies supportive of the Palestinian people and their continued existence on their lands in freedom and dignity and the right to establish their independent state" the Monarch added.

On the latest developments in Iraq, His Majesty affirmed that Jordan is very keen on Iraq's stability, unity and harmony among all of its people, regardless of where they are situated in the political landscape, saying "we are on equal footing with all shades of the Iraqi political spectrum. Our dealings with Iraq are carried out through formal institutional channels, enriched by close social relations between the two people".

"We have consistently warned of the repercussions of the Syrian crisis on its neighbouring countries. We have always stood by Lebanon in all Arab and international forums to mobilise relief assistance so that it will be able address the humanitarian consequences of the crisis in Syria" King Abdullah II said in a response to a question about the situation in Lebanon if the Syrian war continues.

He added that the security and political situation in Lebanon is delicate, and it is trying hard to prevent itself from being drawn into the Syrian crisis. "Lebanon’s demographic composition cannot tolerate any Lebanese party to interfere in the Syrian crisis, because it will pull the entire country into this crisis and expose it to its repercussions," he said.

About Egypt and the future of this Arab country, he said " Arabs and Muslims need Egypt to be strong and effective once again, and to be able to protect all Egyptian people. Egypt lies at the heart of the Arab and Muslim world, bridging Asia and Africa, and plays a pivotal role in achieving security and stability and promoting moderation. The next presidential term should be regarded comprehensively. It is a significant milestone for the future of Egypt, which requires strong leadership that enjoys the confidence of the majority of Egyptians and enough wisdom and ability to steer the country and its institutions to safety during this period. It needs to address the challenges of internal security and to contribute to the restoration of stability to countries surrounding Egypt, which are vital for all Arab countries" he added.

During the interview, the King talked about the reform process in Jordan, saying we in Jordan have chosen a third way: Political life has not remained stagnant, yet we have not leapt into the unknown. Moreover, we have not reduced reform to only elections. Rather, we have established an integrated and comprehensive system of democratic laws, institutions and practices’’ he added. Since the first moment the Arab spring started, we adopted it as catalyst to revive and deepen reform, rather than as excuse for procrastination, in spite of the difficult economic situation and regional security challenges. The actual reform achievements are the parameters that identified the features of Jordan’s reform model, which is home-grown and based on an evolutionary approach, consensus building and realisation of active citizenship".

In the same context, he stressed that the core target of political reform is the Jordanian citizen. All that has been achieved was meant to empower the individual to participate in the decision-making process. Citizens elect deputies, who, in turn, choose the government at the helm of the executive branch. At that point, a cycle of legislation and oversight starts, exercised by deputies, who are overseen by their voters. Citizens express their satisfaction with the performance of their deputies as they take part in the next elections.

On the progress of monarchy in Jordan, the king said" vibrant communities are dynamic and constantly evolving. The progress made by Jordan at various levels is remarkable. Our society has changed, so have its ambitions and the mechanisms of expressing them. The foundations of the work of governments and parliaments have also changed. Besides, each leader has his own approach".

He also added "What I mean more specifically is that the mechanisms of decision making are in constant evolution, including the Throne. Development, progress and change are part of life. Jordan is evolving as a society, state, institutions and political system, including the monarchy and the Throne. As the leader of this country, I deal with these variables’ development with the necessary and proportionate responsiveness, dynamism and flexibility." the king further said :" The constant that will not change is the relationship between the monarchy and the people. Our responsibility is to dedicate ourselves to the service of the people, attend to their interests and to be a safety valve in the areas where that is required, especially when defending our national security and maintaining our core values of unity, pluralism, openness, tolerance and moderation. This is our unchanging covenant before God and the people".

*Petra