'Visit's agenda included signing cooperation agreements in vital areas'

WASHINGTON: Kuwait's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said yesterday that the visit to Washington by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah coincides with challenging conditions in the region and the world, "which require coordination with our friends and allies." "The summit talks between His Highness the Amir and President Donald Trump dealt with the bilateral ties that date back to early last century and grow steadily in accordance with the previously set chart and timetable," he said.

"The agenda of His Highness the Amir's visit to Washington included the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in vital areas, including customs, communication and security," Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled pointed out. On the meeting between His Highness the Amir and heads of leading US companies, he said the meeting reflected the desire of the US investors to strengthen their presence in Kuwait. "During his meeting with President Trump, His Highness the Amir affirmed that Kuwait adopted the necessary legislations to improve the investment atmosphere and expressed desire to increase the number of US companies operating in Kuwait," he noted.

The summit talks reviewed regional issues, including the Gulf dispute, the relations with Iran, the Middle East peace process, and the situations in Yemen, Syria and Libya. "The talks also dealt with the joint efforts in the framework of the international coalition against terrorism," Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled went on. "We look forward to the next round of the strategic dialogue with the United States, due to be hosted by Kuwait late this year, to continue the consultations on the issues raised during this summit meeting," he added.

Vital role

Meanwhile, Speaker of the National Assembly Marzouq Al-Ghanem commended on Thursday the results of the recent visit by His Highness the Amir to Washington and his meeting with US President Trump. In a press release, Ghanem said that "discussions between His Highness the Amir and President Trump did not only focused on bolstering ties within the political and economic domains, it also included other prominent issues such as the status quo in the GCC region, the war in Yemen, the Palestinian cause, and amongst topics."

He added that Trump's description of Kuwait as 'great partner' was evident of Kuwait's vital role in mediating regional issues of paramount importance. It was very important to coordinate efforts between the US and Kuwait to reach fruitful solutions to problems facing the world, said Ghanem, who affirmed that the visit was another milestone in the American-Kuwaiti relations. - KUNA