KUWAIT: Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio on Saturday expressed gratitude for the State of Kuwait's tangible support for the nation in combating the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that minister Di Maio expressed the appreciation for the Kuwaiti aid during a telephone call with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, conducted earlier on Saturday.

Minister Maio said on his official Twitter account that he was informed by Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser during the call about allocating a fund, part of the "grand donation" to the World Health Organization, for Italy, concluding, "Thank you Kuwait." He lauded Kuwait's donation of $60 million to the WHO as part of efforts to fight the pandemic that has mushroomed all over the continents.

The Kuwaiti foreign minister had received a phone call from his counterpart in the friendly Republic of Italy, discussing latest conditions resulting from spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Moreover, the two ministers pondered means of boosting mutual cooperation in facing repercussions and ways of containing the pandemic.

Sheikh Dr Ahmad Al-Sabah also received a phone call on Saturday from Josep Borrel, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign and Security Affairs, discussing current developments related to spread of the novel coronavirus. The phone talks dealt with mutual cooperation for facing fallouts and repercussions of the coronavirus. Minister Sheikh Dr Ahmad renewed the State of Kuwait's stance that calls for coordinated international efforts to face the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Dr Ahmad Al-Sabah chaired on Saturday the sixth meeting of the team tasked with arranging return of Kuwaiti nationals who have remained abroad amid the current and ongoing coronavirus crisis. The session, held at headquarters of the Cabinet Secretariat General at Seif Palace, was attended by Chairperson of Kuwait Red Society (KRCS) Dr Hilal Al-Sayer and his peer of Kuwait Airways, Yousef Al-Jassem. Participants in the meeting tackled means of completing urgent measures for dealing with priorities of facing repercussions of the virus crisis and followed up on coordination with concerned authorities.

The team, formed according to a cabinet resolution, addressed plans and programs for repatriating the citizens abroad and placing all available resources to ensure their safe return home. The group comprises senior officials of the ministries of foreign affairs, interior, defense, health, finance, higher education, representatives of the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI), Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the KRCS, Central Agency for Information Technology (CAIT) and volunteers involved in distributing aid to those in need during the crisis. - KUNA