Lawrence Silverman
US Ambassador to Kuwait

I warmly congratulate the Government and people of Kuwait on the 56th anniversary of their independence and the 26th anniversary of liberation.  The United States is proud to have contributed to the liberation of Kuwait and remains proud today to be a partner in a close, strategic and growing bilateral relationship.  We made a commitment to Kuwait’s liberation, and we helped make that a reality in 1991.  Our commitment to Kuwait’s defense demonstrated then continues to the present day.

The United States is continuing to deliver and provide training for the capabilities that enable Kuwait’s Armed Forces to deter as well as to defend against those that would seek to do harm to the nation.  In the recent telephone call between President Trump and His Highness, the Amir, the President reaffirmed this strong defense partnership.

I believe the US partnership with Kuwait is as mutually beneficial to our peoples now as it was back in 1990-91 - in many ways.  The Strategic Dialogue that the United States and Kuwait inaugurated last October in Washington will help us enhance the already close defense, economic, educational and cultural ties between our two nations.  The United States and Kuwait agree that our partnership should produce practical results for our citizens.

Our leaders have also agreed on the importance of strengthening bilateral economic and education cooperation, building on the progress achieved at the Strategic Dialogue. Trade and investment between our two countries are growing; we hope that will spur both growth and innovation.  More than 15,500 Kuwaiti students are studying in America.  Each day those students bring their own unique set of experiences to our classrooms, lecture halls, and college student groups - as their parents and grandparents did earlier.  Our policy of welcoming these students to our country has not changed.  These students are bringing home what they learned in America to help forge Kuwait’s future.

I believe in the future of close US-Kuwaiti cooperation not only in education, but in the fields of science and healthcare as well.  Even as America’s hospitals continue to provide excellent care to Kuwaiti patients, US health institutions provide support and training as Kuwait expands its own healthcare infrastructure.

Since arriving here late last September, I have been inspired by the enduring spirit and determination of Kuwaitis who draw from their history to take on a leadership role in a region facing significant challenges. Kuwait has been appropriately recognized as a regional leader in meeting humanitarian challenges.  In this way, Kuwait is investing in the stability of the region.  Kuwait is also a regional leader in constitutional and participatory governance.  Kuwait’s media has retained its vibrancy and its independence, allowing for a free exchange of views, charting a path for Kuwait’s future.  These are all distinctions of which the Kuwaiti people can justifiably be proud.

It is my honor to serve as US Ambassador to Kuwait.  I look forward to exploring new ways for the Governments of the United States and Kuwait, and for Americans and Kuwaitis, to work together.  I thank the people of Kuwait for the warm welcome they have shown my family and me over the past five months and look forward to creating more friendships with the Kuwaiti people.  Once again, “Alf mabrook” to our Kuwaiti friends on the marking of these proud milestones.

By Lawrence Silverman, US Ambassador to the State of Kuwait