Irbid, Oct. 3 (Petra) -- Participants at a forum affirmed that His Majesty King Abdullah II's address before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) constituted a clear political message reflecting Jordan's constants regarding the Palestinian cause, its national security, and its supreme interests, and placing the international community before its responsibilities in confronting crises. They said the speech carried a call, within its national content, to enhance readiness and proactively address accelerating challenges.

Speaking at the "Irbid National Forum" event organized by the Jordan Forum for Policy Dialogue on Saturday at the Irbid Chamber of Commerce auditorium, moderated by retired Brigadier General Mukhles Al-Mufleh, they said the importance of the royal speech is not limited to its messages directed to the international community but extends to Jordan's domestic arena, given its affirmation of the need to protect national security in its comprehensive sense, link political stability with water, food, and economic security, and enhance the state's ability to confront the repercussions of regional transformations.

They noted that the speech reaffirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause and the need to reach a just solution guaranteeing the rights of the Palestinian people and stressed respect for international law and the rejection of double standards, affirming that the Jordanian position is based on firm constants, foremost among them protecting the Kingdom's security and national interests and preserving the Hashemite custodianship over the holy sites in Jerusalem.

For her part, First Assistant to the Speaker of the Lower House of Representatives MP Hala Al-Jarrah said the royal speech represents an integrated strategic document defining the direction of the Jordanian state amid a turbulent region fraught with challenges, noting the importance of translating royal positions and visions into policies and parliamentary work that protects the supreme national interests.

She added that the speech represents a royal directive that should form the basis for the work of state institutions, foremost among them the House of Representatives and political parties, stressing the importance of continuing to develop legislative and political performance in line with the requirements of the stage and the need for the government to deal with economic and regional challenges with a proactive mindset, particularly in the fields of food security, supply chains, and trade, enhancing Jordan's ability to withstand crises.

For his part, former minister and president of the Board of Trustees of Yarmouk University Taiseer Al-Nuaimi said His Majesty's speech was clear in diagnosing the crises the world is experiencing and set the record straight regarding the international community's responsibility toward crises threatening security and stability, affirming that the speech reflected a weighty Jordanian presence at one of the most important international platforms.

He added that the Palestinian cause remained at the forefront of the royal messages, based on the premise that regional stability cannot be achieved in isolation from a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause, noting that His Majesty carried to the international community a clear voice defending Palestinian rights and rejecting the continuation of the occupation or dealing with the suffering of the Palestinian people as a humanitarian crisis separate from its political and legal roots.

For his part, former Minister of Water and Irrigation Mutasim Saidan said water security represents one of the most important components of Jordanian national security, and what was stated in the royal speech regarding protecting water and national interests acquires particular importance in light of the transformations the region is witnessing and the challenges associated with transboundary water sources.

He explained that Jordan has historically dealt with its water rights as fixed national rights and exerted continuous political and legal efforts to preserve them, affirming that the Kingdom will not relinquish its water rights, foremost among them Jordan's rights in the Yarmouk Basin, and that the next phase requires continuing to protect these rights and strengthen the Jordanian position toward any developments that could affect water sources or their security and sustainability.

Meanwhile, retired Major General Ahmad Al-Ayassrah said His Majesty's speech presented an advanced reading of the concept of national security, which is no longer limited to protecting borders and confronting traditional military threats but also carries a broader concept encompassing water, food, energy, and natural resource security and economic and social stability.

He noted that this vision requires the state to develop a national readiness system and deal with risks before they occur, affirming that accelerating regional transformations necessitates the integration of roles among state institutions and raising the level of coordination and preparedness to preserve Jordan's security, stability, and supreme interests, and that the state's strength in confronting crises is linked to its ability to anticipate and prepare for risks.

President of the Jordan Forum for Policy Dialogue Hamid Al-Bataineh said organizing the "Irbid National Forum" comes within the forum's role as a platform for national dialogue and reading strategic issues affecting the state and society, stressing the importance of expanding discussion of the royal speech's content and linking it to the challenges facing Jordan and the region, allowing the enrichment of public dialogue with national approaches based on expertise and knowledge.

He explained that His Majesty's speech presented a comprehensive vision for security and stability, combining defense of Jordan's constants and national interests with openness to the world and adherence to diplomacy and international law, noting that this vision constitutes a road map for state institutions, parties, and civil society organizations to enhance national readiness and transform royal messages into practical policies and programs that strengthen the Kingdom's ability to confront regional variables.

//Petra// AF