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Ammon News - Prime Minister, Dr. Bishr Khasawneh, congratulated Jordan's Christians on Christmas and the New Year occassions.

During his visit to the Latin Diocese on Sunday, in the presence of a number of ministers and Jordan's church heads, the premier affirmed Hashemite leadership’s pride in the central and pivotal role played by Jordanian Christians in serving the Kingdom.

The PM said: "We are partners in this country, and partners in the march of the state. Christmas is viewed a national holiday."

Christians in the Kingdom, as in the Arab Mashreq, carried a "national message" and set an example of the cohesive national fabric, and contributed to helping Jordan enter its second centennial, Khasawneh pointed out.

The Prime Minister also referred to the Hashemite custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites in Al-Quds Al-Sharif, adding: "Jordan will always work to preserve Jerusalem's historical status quo and preserve its Islamic and Christian holy sites. We will stand firm against any attempts aimed at changing the city's historical status quo, and we will continue to defend sanctities to affirm steadfastness at these holy sites."

In this regard, the PM referred to the primary and central role of churches in protecting the holy sites in Jerusalem.

Khasawneh also pointed out that the Jordanian state and the political system are the "most rooted and most capable" of overcoming challenges and difficulties, due to the national cohesion between the Hashemite leadership and its people with all its components and fabric.

The country is facing a number of challenges, such as Covid-19 pandemic and economic difficulties, he noted, noting that the government is making revisions and corrections under directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II and follow-up of His Highness Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, the Crown Prince, with the aim of entering the second centennial of the state’s life, overcoming some mistakes that marred path in the first 100th years.

The PM also said the Jordanian state is in the process of thoroughly modernizing its political system, as a Royal committee was formed for this purpose, which submitted results and recommendations to the government that were sent to the Lower House, indicating that the House is now debating the committee's outputs.

The formation of a committee to modernize the public sector, which is a basic requirement, "because modernizing the public sector and administrative reform constitutes a leverage for the political and economic reform system, and in a way that contributes to reviving the private sector by contributing to the flow of local and foreign investments to overcome the economic challenges of unemployment and deepening phenomenon of poverty".

The PM said: "We are moving in the second centennial of the country towards broader horizons, in line with the aspirations of His Majesty King Abdullah II and his Crown Prince, His Highness Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, who put the Kingdom's, citizens' interests in mind and emphasize improving their living standard.

The government is working on these issues according to the basis of partnership with all Kingdom's components, he noted.

Khasawneh referred Jordanians' sacrifices to defend the Arab nation's crucial and fundamental issues, foremost is the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian right to establish a fully sovereign Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The PM also stressed that the Jordanian people present an example of harmony and human coexistence in its finest manifestations, pointing out that hope is always pinned on Jordanian people, who have not and will not fail their homeland.