By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Information, in cooperation with the European Union, organized a joint workshop on Monday at the National Library of Kuwait. The three-day event discusses the strategic communications to counter extremism and terrorism.

Mazen Al-Ansari

In his opening remarks, Mazen Al-Ansari, Head of the Countering Radicalization Team of the Ministry of Information and Acting Assistant Undersecretary of International Media Sector, said "Today's workshop aims to shed light thoughtfully on the methods and means of combating extremism on social media platforms and how to use the latest technology and information to serve our goal."

He affirmed that Kuwait aims to safeguard the security of its society and country by focusing on awareness campaigns and educating youth, the most important group in society which all countries depend on for their development and progress. He added, "Although this panel discussion was supposed to be held in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented it to happen. The State of Kuwait has always been keen to play its role in combating terrorism by developing a strategic plan to promote moderation and combat extremism," he pointed out.

"With the participation of nearly 400 governmental and private entities and public figures from all over the world, Kuwait put a vision aims to counter extremist ideology and spread moderation in Kuwaiti society through innovative and scientific methods as well as media methodologies and electronic system of effective communication inside and outside the country," he explained.

KUWAIT: Audience attending the workshop.

Ansari indicated that Kuwait is a country of love and peace, and it will always be keen on developing its strategy with the countries of the European Union, noting that bilateral relations have witnessed continuous progress at all levels. "Kuwait is the first Gulf country to sign a cooperation agreement with the EU in 2016, which made it possible for more cooperation to exchange experiences and viewpoints through workshops and conferences on various fields," he added.

Gediminas Varanavicius

Charge d'Affaires at the EU Delegation in Kuwait, Gediminas Varanavicius, stated that this workshop builds on the strong and excellent relations between the EU and Kuwait, which remains a reliable partner and ally to the EU, assuring the framework of the new EU Strategy towards the Gulf including Kuwait, which was adopted last year, that focuses on enhancing the EU-GCC cooperation on global agenda such as security and counter-terrorism.

"The workshop shows that both Kuwait and the EU are facing common global challenges including security. We in the EU are convinced that exchanging our experiences and know-how with the Gulf region and Kuwait in particular is important to overcome those challenges together," he added.

Varanavicius revealed that the EU partnership with Kuwait in the field of security and counter-terrorism is based on three pillars which are counter-terrorism finance and money laundering, EU-GCC Judicial cooperation, and countering extremism.

"I would like to stress the importance of international cooperation in countering extremism, as this joint three-day workshop is an excellent example of such cooperation. The presence of so many EU ambassadors here today is a testament to this," he pointed out, praising Kuwaiti government for its constant support for the Kuwait-EU partnership in the field of security and counterterrorism.