His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday said regional tensions and challenges will not prevent Jordan from implementing its socio-economic development programmes.

Chairing a special Cabinet session, King Abdullah called on the government to accelerate the implementation of Letter of Designation plans to improve living conditions and help alleviate poverty and unemployment.

The King said finding practical solutions to offset the impact of soaring oil prices on citizens, particularly those on limited incomes, should top priorities of the public and private sectors.

During the session, Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit briefed the King on government plans to find alternatives for energy resources, saying that agreements were expected to be signed this month with international firms to extract and use oil shale.

Bakhit also spoke about current steps to establish a social security commission, adding that the government planned to issue a report on practical means to address poverty and unemployment.

The Jordan Times