His Majesty King Abdullah II on Wednesday delivered an address to the nation on the 25th anniversary of his assumption of constitutional powers.

His Majesty said, “we look back on a quarter of a century of achievements that were realised through your efforts and belong to each one of you.”

The King paid tribute to the late King Hussein, saying, “my father’s last words when he passed this responsibility onto me still ring in my ears, in my heart, and in my soul, guiding me in Jordan’s service… for I had promised him to serve this proud people and to honourably safeguard this homeland.”

“We will continue to carry this responsibility together, God willing, for you are the people of resolve, from the land of resolve,” His Majesty concluded.

Following is the English translation of the address:

“In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful,

My fellow Jordanians,
Peace, God’s mercy and blessings be upon you,

Twenty-five years ago, we bade farewell to a great leader who wisely built Jordan and anchored its progress in turbulent times. He was keen that Jordan remained proud and strong through its institutions and with the efforts of all Jordanians; and his wishes came true.

My father, Al Hussein, may he rest in peace, left us contented in what he left behind. We always proudly pay tribute to him, as a leader, a human being, a brother, and a father for all Jordanians.

For me, your brother, Abdullah bin Al Hussein, my father’s last words when he passed this responsibility onto me still ring in my ears, in my heart, and in my soul, guiding me in Jordan’s service. Throughout these years, all I sought was to please God and to be up to Al Hussein’s expectations, for I had promised him to serve this proud people and to honourably safeguard this homeland.

I have never seen myself but a servant to our homeland and one of you. Together, we celebrated our accomplishments, and together, we stood in the darkest of times.

My brothers and sisters, my sons and daughters,

We learned from Al Hussein and from the generations that believed in this nation and sacrificed for it, that Jordan has an international role and stature. We remained committed to the pledge with you so that Jordan continues to be at the forefront, a voice of truth no matter what, and a steadfast supporter for its brethren and its wider nation, going above and beyond and expecting nothing in return, for the Jordan of goodwill does not let its family down.

In order for Jordan to stay strong, and in order for us to protect our national interests and safeguard our achievements, we will all remain committed to the pledge, dedicated and united, always looking towards further resilience and prosperity, and putting our people and nation’s interests above all else.

We will continue to stand with our brethren in Palestine, exerting all our efforts to stop the Israeli aggression and end the occupation. We will work transparently and diligently until they gain their full rights on their national soil. We will remain committed to the pledge to be their strong supporters.

And as we remained committed to the pledge, we continued together the journey of building modern Jordan at the onset of the 21st century, and we remained committed to the legacy of Al Hussein and the generations of nation builders. We will remain committed, God willing, to the responsibility of serving the generations of the present and the future, to reach the national goal we are pursuing faithfully and persistently, towards modernisation across its political, economic, and administrative tracks.

As Al Hussein taught me, I only seek to please God, with peace of conscience, and ensure progress for all Jordanians, so that Jordan’s flag continues to fly high, safeguarded by the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army and security agencies’ hearts and souls, and protected by Jordanians’ dedication and achievements, so that Jordan always remains first.

And in honour of the legacy of our ancestors and our Hashemite heritage, my son, Al Hussein, is following in their footsteps as a dedicated son and brother to his family, committed to the homeland and keen on serving our beloved Jordan.

So my fellow Jordanians, I salute each one of you, as we, on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee, look back on a quarter of a century of achievements that were realised through your efforts and belong to each one of you.

We will continue to carry this responsibility together, God willing, for you are the people of resolve, from the land of resolve.

Peace, God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.”