Jordan’s foreign policy and national security

It is easy to have many enemies, but it is difficult to have friends. This is Jordan’s motto. Befriending has been the strategy of Jordan since the country’s independence. The Jordanian leadership has also adopted a national strategy for its national security, by protecting the interests of the nation and the people, the principles and values and the country’s independence in accordance with the moralities and constants of the Kingdom’s founders.

The interests of the state are those related to the country’s sovereignty, security, safety, constitution, laws, stability, power, potentials and aptitudes of the Kingdom that enhance the immunity of the state and the society and bolster political, economic, defence, social, cultural, commercial and industrial powers to encounter current and present challenges. 

Jordan believes that security is not limited to mere security and military protocols. One of the priorities of the Jordanian national security is to protect people, land, sovereignty, law, interests, internal stability, resources and the country’s independence from external intervention in the Kingdom’s domestic affairs.

When his Majesty King Abdullah assumed his constitutional powers in 1999, he projected his insights of the country’s national security. He broadened the spectrum of Jordan's foreign policy due to the pivotal role Jordan plays at the regional level in combating terrorism and threats to regional peace. With his insights and far-sightedness, the Jordanian Monarch has managed to bail Jordan out of a number of regional issues, saving the country’s unity and stability. 

The world and Jordan witnessed end of December the spread of Coronavirus, which has become pandemic around the world. The Jordanian leadership, upon directives of King Abdullah and Crown Prince Hussein Bin Abdullah, managed to contain and resolve the crisis by facing the pandemic at early stages with strict health and security measures to save people’s lives. Many countries have hailed the Jordanian leadership and its people for the procedures and for the success to encounter the spread of COVID-19, commending Jordanian leadership skills and wisdom for adopting a defence strategy at early phases. The armed forces and security services have always had their distinguished presence at various levels, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, they have orchestrated well to preserve the health of Jordanians and to protect their properties and belongings. 

The Hashemite leadership worked to build national security through the unity of political decisions, given that the King has been able to identify the risks and challenges facing the Jordanian state. Accordingly, the leadership worked to define the interests, goals and values in order to protect the achievements through internal and external policies and by building institutions capable of implementing these policies and developing them.

Jordan’s national security consists of several elements drawn up by the leadership. The first component is the political facet because it determines how the state's forces and resources are organised, and managed to address the country and the people’s requirements. The second pillar is the strategy adopted during crisis management, and this is clear in the management of the coronavirus crisis. This has entailed teamwork of the military, security and media with the concerned government entities to meet uncertainties. 

During the past twenty years, the King fortified the internal front and increased the country’s immunity from all external interventions in the Kingdom’s internal affairs by boosting regional cooperation through dynamic formulas and equations that match the vision of the Hashemite leadership in order to build self-capabilities to ward off risks with a series of measures that combine diplomacy, security and defence. This has been cemented with having strong friendship of foreign countries, as the Hashemites are highly respected by the world community. 

The strength of any state leader is attributed to the relationship of the leadership with the people. This is the most important element of the Jordanian national security because the leadership enjoys the confidence, allegiance and trust of the people. When Jordanian people compare their country to other states which have the same resources and area, the outcome is in favour of Jordan and its leadership. The secret is the dedication of the country’s leadership and its appreciation to the Jordanian people for their contributions and loyalty for the Hashemite throne.

Since 1999, King Abdullah has endeavoured to establish balanced, international and regional relations. He concluded agreements that serve the supreme national interests of the state and the people, as the King has believed that military power alone is not sufficient if it is not supported by a developed economy and a strong foreign policy. This explains Jordan’s assimilation of many events and changes at the regional level, which have prompted the leadership towards more political and economic modifications, turning Jordan into a civilised model for many countries at all levels. At present, Jordan is the centre of moderation, freedom, democracy, security and innovation.

In short, Jordan’s national security stems from regional geopolitical physiognomies; thus, it is the upshot of interaction of domestic, regional and international factors. The concept of national security is directed to the rules of international and regional integration, which originate from the region's geopolitical characteristics.