Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Bisher Al Khasawneh on Sunday congratulated AdDustour newspaper on its 55th anniversary during a visit he paid to the daily's headquarters.

Speaking during his meeting with the newspaper’s editor-in-chief Mustafa Riyalat and its general manager Hussein Omoush, Khasawneh said that Jordan's media outlets play an "important" role in defending the country's issues and instilling its "noble" values, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The premier said that the "key role”, which the press has played and is still assuming during the Kingdom's "important and historic stages," cannot be neglected.

The PM affirmed that the government, under His Majesty King Abdullah’s directives, will act to support the print media to enable it to maintain its role of the "honest" reflection of the country's visions and aspirations.

In the PM's presence, the daily launched AdDustour smart application, making it the first Jordanian newspaper, the second in the Arab world, and among the first 10 worldwide, to use artificial intelligence technology that offers a voice feature to search and inquire about the daily's news.

On the health front, the prime minister said the government is aware that citizens have been "exhausted" by the pandemic, which has many repercussions on society and sectors, adding that the disease's current wave constitutes "tremendous" pressure on hospitals and their capacity due to the increasing number of new infections.

In this regard, the PM expressed confidence that the Jordanian people will overcome the difficulties and challenges that the country is going through, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

Touring the newspaper's TV and radio studio, Khasawneh recorded a speech, noting that the print media played a "pivotal" role in defending the country's issues and citizens' concerns over the first 100 years of the Jordanian state.

Riyalat commended the premier’s visit to the daily, stressing that "the visit  signals a message of interest that the government gives to media institutions”.

Omoush said that the visit is considered a "motivation” for more work and achievement.