KUWAIT: On 11 April, EU Ambassador to Kuwait Cristian Tudor convened a ghabqa with media representatives on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan to thank them for their cooperation with the EU Delegation in Kuwait and inform them about plans for the coming period, including Europe Day celebrations next month. During the ghabqa, Ambassador Tudor also praised the lively and vibrant nature of the Kuwaiti media.

EU Ambassador to Kuwait Cristian Tudor.

Ambassador Tudor hailed the excellent EU-Kuwait bilateral relations as evidenced by the first visit of the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell to Kuwait last month. The talks with the Kuwaiti leadership focused on how we could further enhance our relations. We have identified cooperation on health, food security, education, digital and green transition as our priorities. Another example is the visit of Johannes Hahn, EU Commissioner for Budget and Administration in February, the first such visit by an EU Commissioner since the establishment of the EU Delegation here in 2019. The aim of the visit was to strengthen cooperation between the EU and Kuwait in the financial and economic sector as well as investments in the renewable energy sector. We are also enhancing inter-parliamentary relations as testified by the visit of the European Parliament's delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula to Kuwait last November.

Ambassador Tudor reiterated that Kuwait is a close and reliable partner of the EU. Both sides support a rules-based world order and peaceful conflict settlement based on the principles of the UN Charter and humanitarian values. This was evidenced by Kuwait's stance on Ukraine, including its support to relevant UNGA resolutions. The EU also appreciates Kuwait's mediation efforts with regard to the Gulf rift and other regional conflicts. We also work closely with Kuwait to develop new forms of cooperation and to build a stronger partnership with Gulf countries to promote inter alia regional security.

Ambassador Tudor also said that the EU wants to become Kuwait's partner of choice in implementing Kuwait 2035 Vision, which aims to chart a path towards economic and social development. We also aim to work with Kuwait on the issue of climate change and the transition to a greener economy. For their part, the EU Member States have agreed on a Green Deal to achieve carbon neutrality in Europe by 2050.

Another important area of the EU-Kuwait relations is to facilitate people-to-people contacts, including among young people. 2022 was announced as the European Year of Youth. Europe-Day on 9 May represents the first opportunity for a wider public outreach post-COVID. In this context, the EU Delegation and 17 EU Member States represented in Kuwait will hold a large celebration, highlighting national features and their joint aspirations under the roof of the EU. The date was chosen for a reason as it marks the anniversary of the historic 'Schuman Declaration' that set out his idea for a new form of political cooperation in Europe, which prepared the ground for what is now the European Union.