Barzani assures commitment to border agreements

Minister of Interior Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah meets with President of Iraq’s Kurdistan Masoud Barzani

MUNICH: Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah yesterday discussed with Airbus CEO Dirke Hoke and Guillaume Fairy, the company's chief for copters' manufacturing, cooperation between the State of Kuwait and the global conglomerate.

Speaking on sidelines of Munich Security Conference, Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah said the talks dealt with mutual cooperation namely the signed deal to sell helicopters to Kuwait in addition to joint efforts for training Kuwaiti airmen as well as schedule of delivering the multi-winged aircraft to the  country.

Khor Abdullah

In other news, President of Iraq's Kurdistan Masoud Barzani said yesterday that the autonomous region strictly adheres to border agreements between Kuwait and Iraq, particularly, ones dealing with Khor Abdullah, an inlet situated along the Kuwaiti-Iraqi maritime border.

Barzani made the remarks in a meeting with Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference (MSC). The Kuwaiti Interior Minister said that talks with the Iraqi Kurdish President centered on the historic ties shared between Kuwait and the northern Iraqi region. Moreover, both officials underscored their collective desire for increased security cooperation between Kuwait and Iraq's Kurdistan, especially, in the fight against terrorism.

Effective role

Meanwhile, an American official praised Kuwait's effective role in combating global terrorism. The official, Brett McGurk, the US president's envoy at the international coalition for combating the so-called Islamic State, expressed admiration for the Kuwaiti efforts during a meeting with Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah. The minister indicated that he exchanged views with the US officials on means to fight the terrorist organization, adding that McGurk briefed him about military operations targeting the group and future plans to confront this peril. McGurk called for boosting cooperation with Kuwait at this level. The talks were held on margins of Munich Security Conference.

Transnational crime

Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah had called on peace-seeking countries to be aware of the significance of joint cooperation and coordination in the fight against transnational organized crime. Speaking on the sidelines of his participation in Munich Security Conference (MSC), which kicked off in Germany's southern city of Munich on Friday, the minister said transnational organized crime is a major challenge to all world countries. He listed the evils of transnational organized crime as mainly growing terrorist organizations and relevant sophisticated finance sources, which make it difficult for countries to fight terrorism effectively.

He emphasized that these terrorist organizations and groups have nothing to do whatsoever with religions, and that it is totally unfair to link them to the tolerant religion of Islam. Therefore, he maintained, concerted international efforts should be exerted in order to fight terrorist organizations and their deviant ideologies on the basis that they have neither religion nor homeland.

The Kuwaiti minister also called for making use of technological advancement in developing a fresh system to protect cybersecurity. He boasted that the State of Kuwait attaches much attention to the exchange of information in a safe manner, and to the protection of cybersecurity from cyberattacks by means of adopting the best international practices and developing legal partnerships against these crimes. He stressed that his country is ready to provide immediate support to the global security system in various domains.

Major challenges

More than 500 decision-makers from across the globe, including more than 25 heads of state and government, 80 foreign and defense ministers, and strong delegations from the new US administration and from Congress, came together in Munich for discussions on major international security challenges.

Over the past five decades, the Munich Security Conference (MSC) has become a key annual gathering for the international 'strategic community."' Since its foundation in 1963 as "Internationale Wehrkunde-Begegnung," the MSC has been an independent forum dedicated to promoting peaceful conflict resolution and international cooperation and dialogue. In addition to the annual flagship conference in February, the MSC regularly convenes other high-profile events in capitals around the world. - KUNA