Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - His Majesty King Abdullah II on Thursday stressed the importance of a clear and sustainable social and economic strategy to address economic challenges facing Jordan.

Such strategy, he said, should be the basis to press ahead with achieving security and prosperity for the country's citizens.

King Abdullah also told economic leaders during a meeting at al Husseiniyeh Palace attended by Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, that the Kingdom is facing enormous and multiple economic and security challenges at more than one front.

The country's economy and future security, he said, are inextricably linked, but he stressed that the economy, mainly poverty and unemployment, is the paramount concern.

His Majesty told the meeting, which convened to air various views on a ten-year economic blueprint he had asked the government to draw up in a partnership with various organizations, that regional turmoil had placed serious pressures on the Kingdom's limited resources.

The turbulence in the region, he said, had adversely affected the Jordanian private sector and unveiled weaknesses in the national economy that should be overcome in the future.

King Abdullah called for a Public-Private Partnership and cooperation to develop the 10-year economic plan, while urging the government to encourage investors and Arab and foreign businessmen to invest in the Kingdom.

For the economic blueprint to succeed, Jordanians must believe in it, His Majesty said, while noting that the plan must be drafted in partnership between the Government, the private sector and the civil society organizations.

During the meeting, the King listened to the economists’ points of view on the various economic and social challenges facing the national economy. Meanwhile, the King underlined the importance of following up on the private sector’s points of view in order for the economic plan to address all challenges facing the economy.

*Petra