- KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah chairs the Cabinet's weekly meeting. - KUNA

KUWAIT: The
Kuwaiti Cabinet, in its weekly meeting on Monday, welcomed the planned visit of
Egyptian President Abdulfattah Al-Sisi to Kuwait and wished him and his
accompanying delegation a good stay in the country. The government underlined
the importance of this visit in strengthening bilateral ties and expanding
cooperation in a variety of domains, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of
Cabinet Affairs Anas Al-Saleh said a press statement following the Cabinet
meeting, held in Seif Palace under chairmanship of His Highness the Prime
Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

Later, Deputy
Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah
briefed the Cabinet about the outcome of Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs
Jacek Czaputowicz and his accompanying delegation's recent visit and talks in
Kuwait. He unveiled that talks with Czaputowicz had tackled means to buttress
bilateral relations in various fields, latest regional and international
developments and several of issues of common concern.

Meanwhile,
Kuwait's Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education Dr Hamed
Al-Azmi apprised the Cabinet of the ministries' preparations for the new
academic year 2019-20. In this regard, Azmi highlighted the efforts exerted by
the competent bodies to build, equip and maintain schools and all educational
facilities as well as printing and distributing textbooks. After his
presentation, the Cabinet expressed appreciation for the ministries' efforts to
provide best educational services and create a suitable environment for study.

Business
environment

In the meantime,
Chairman of Kuwait's Direct Investment Promotion Authority and of the Permanent
Committee for Streamlining Business Environment and Enhancing Competitiveness
Sheikh Meshaal Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah made a presentation about the measures
taken by the authority and the committee to upgrade business environment in
government agencies. The Cabinet thanked Sheikh Meshaal and all members of
Permanent Committee for their efforts to ameliorate Kuwait's ranking on in the
international business environment indexes.

It noted the
positive impact of any improvement to Kuwait's status on citizens who also
benefit from upgraded state services. The ministers pointed out that these
efforts aim to cut time, procedures, cost of doing business in Kuwait through
simplifying procedures and transactions of all kinds, such as launching of new
businesses, expanding existing ones, protecting of intellectual property,
registering properties, obtaining planning permissions, joining electricity and
water grids and issuing credit.

They will also
contribute to settling commercial disputes, guaranteeing competitiveness,
countering corruption, strengthening partnership with the private sector,
empowering small and medium size enterprises, supporting entrepreneurship and
encouraging innovation, which will stimulate investment and create productive
economy that will generate more jobs, said the Cabinet.

Furthermore, the
Cabinet reviewed the semi-annual report of the Supreme Council of Privatization
(July 2019), which detailed the council's activities and achievements in the
first half of the year and its future plans for privatizing North Shuaiba Power
Plant, the Ministry of Electricity and Water's facilities and
telecommunications sector. The government, meanwhile, congratulated His
Highness the Amir and His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad
Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for the advent of the new Hijra Year 1441.

Houthi attacks

The Kuwaiti
government also expressed its condemnation to Houthi firing of six missiles
yesterday which targeted Jazan region in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A
government, in a statement, renewed its support to the Kingdom and all measures
it would take to defend its territories, protect its sovereignty, and preserve
security and stability of the country.

The Cabinet
asserted the continuation of these evil attacks reflects the determination of
the Houthi militias to escalate tension in the region and disregard all peace
efforts. The Cabinet also praised the success made by the Saudi military forces
in confronting these missiles. The Cabinet also condemned recent attacks on a
checkpoint in northwest of Pakistan, which resulted in the killing and injury
of a number of people, stressing Kuwait's firm position in rejecting terrorism,
whatever its motives and causes.

Also during the
meeting, the Cabinet congratulated Lieutenant General Abdulfattah Al-Burhan on
his swearing-in as President of the Sovereign Council of the Republic of Sudan,
wishing him all success and the Sudanese people prosperity and progress. Burhan
came to power under an agreement reached recently by the army and opposition
forces just a few days after they signed a power-sharing deal.

A government
statement said the Cabinet congratulated the Sudanese leadership following
months of protests, which led to the ousting of former President Omar
Al-Bashir. The Cabinet then expressed its regret over the floods that swept
some lands in Sudan, which left a number of victims and material damage,
expressing condolences to the victims' families. - KUNA