Lebanese President postpones visit to Kuwait

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah meets with National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanem. — KUNA

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah strongly condemned the Yemen-originated ballistic missile attack on north of the Saudi capital city, Riyadh, on Saturday. His Highness the Amir, in a cable to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, commended the Saudi Royal Defense Forces for intercepting the missile thus preventing casualties. This hostile attack against Saudi Arabia and its people is violating international norms, said His Highness the Amir, who supported all measures adopted by the Saudi government to preserve the country's security.

His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah also sent a cable to King Salman to condemn the ballistic missile attack. His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah sent a similar cable. Meanwhile, National Assembly speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem strongly condemned the ballistic missile attack. "We reaffirm our complete solidarity with our Saudi brethren against this deplorable hostile acts," Ghanem said in a cable to Sheikh Dr Abdullah Al Al-Sheikh, speaker of the Saudi Shura Council. Ghanem also expressed support to all measures to be adopted by Saudi Arabia to maintain security, stability and sovereignty of its territories.

Grave concern

Kuwait said it followed with grave concern the firing of a ballistic missile by the Houthi militias and Ali Abdullah Saleh's forces against the Saudi capital city, Riyadh. The attack, which aimed at undermining security and stability of civilians, "is a dangerous development" committed by the Houthis and Saleh's forces, a foreign ministry source said in a statement.

The attack, he added, was jeopardizing international efforts to reach a political solution for the bloody conflict which was posing a threat to regional and international security. Kuwait, which condemned this attack in strongest terms, is supporting Saudi Arabia's measures to preserve its security and stability.

Visit postponed

In other news, His Highness the Amir received a phone call from Lebanese President Michel Aoun, who asked him to postpone a visit to Kuwait, which was scheduled yesterday, due to political circumstances in Lebanon. Aoun explained to His Highness the Amir that these circumstances required his personal attendance. He wished Kuwait and its people sustainable progress under the leadership of His Highness the Amir.

His Highness the Amir thanked Aoun for his call, and said he understood the circumstances and wished Lebanon would overcome them. His Highness the Amir told Aoun that he was welcomed to visit Kuwait at any time he saw suitable.

Condolences

Separately, His Highness the Amir sent a cable of condolences to Bangladesh President Mohammed Abdul Hamid over the death of his country's ex-president Abdur Rahman Biswas. Two similar cables were also sent to the Bangladesh president by His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Prime Minister, while Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem sent a cable of condolences to Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad, Bangladesh's parliament, Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury.

Earlier yesterday, His Highness the Amir received Ghanem, His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak as well as First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah at Seif Palace. - KUNA