BERLIN: Former Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Salem Al-Sabah delivers his speech during a ceremony held by the German-Arab Friendship Association. —KUNA

BERLIN: There are a myriad of threats and challenges facing the Middle East that have stifled the influence of some world powers, a former Kuwaiti Foreign Minister said yesterday. Former Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Salem Al-Sabah made the remarks in a speech during a ceremony held by the German-Arab Friendship Association (DAFG), to mark the start of the new year.

Sheikh Dr Mohammad Al-Sabah said that worsening security conditions in the Middle East have curbed the clout of some powerful nations including the United States, Britain and France. Moreover, he spoke of parliamentary elections due in four European Union (EU) nations, noting that the results of these elections will be crucial to peace and security in the Western world. On terrorism, the former Kuwaiti Foreign Minister said that a spate of attacks in cities including Berlin and Istanbul has claimed the lives of scores of innocent people.

Speaking on the root-cause of turmoil plaguing the Middle East, he said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has plunged the region into upheaval, adding that a solution to the conflict is "near and possible." On the war in Syria, Sheikh Dr Mohammad Al-Sabah said that the international community should fulfill its obligations to put an end to this conflict, as he underscored that a military solution is never feasible.

The Former Kuwaiti Foreign Minister also heaped praise on the ideology of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which is one of "openness and forgiveness," urging the GCC to overcome all obstacles thrust upon its member nations. - KUNA