“Our initiative is important as consolidating our border security is of paramount importance for the security of Jordan and the globe,” King Abdullah said in remarks at a dinner held by US President Barack Obama in honour of heads of delegations taking part in the summit.

“We will remain actively engaged in the summit contact group and continue the build-up of our Interagency Counter Nuclear Smuggling Team,” the King added.

In the Levant, His Majesty said, Jordan is the first line of defence against trafficking of arms, narcotics, and counterfeits in the region and beyond.

Commending President Obama for taking the lead on “such an important and current issue,” the King told the gathering that “we hope this important process will continue in a sustainable manner and build an enduring architecture to further our achievements and the good work that is being done.”

His Majesty warned that the “threat level is high: We have a high risk of nuclear, chemical, biological and radiological proliferation in the Middle East.”

The King explained that the state of chaos in the Middle East region has increased the risk of moving these materials and technologies to non-state actors that are becoming more sophisticated, including in developing their own delivery systems.

“Our worst-case scenario would be an attempt to smuggle nuclear or radiological material by terrorists and spread terror,” His Majesty warned, adding that recent attempts to smuggle radioactive material, including Cesium-137 and Uranium within Europe, reinforce that scenario.

The interlinked threats of criminal acts, drug and human trafficking and the financing of terrorism are yet another issue facing the international community, the King said, noting that this is a “global challenge; therefore the importance of working together has never been more acute.”

His Majesty told the audience: “As I have mentioned at previous conferences, we have to be pre-emptive, we need real-time intelligence sharing; as well as working together in capacity building at the national, regional and global levels; we also need to cooperate and share vital technologies.”