KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah meets with chairman of the British-Kuwaiti Parliamentary Friendship Committee Leo Docherty and his delegation. —KUNA

KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah received chairman of the British-Kuwaiti Parliamentary Friendship Committee Leo Docherty and his delegation. The meeting, held at Seif Palace yesterday, was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanem also received the visiting chairperson of the British Parliamentary Friendship Committee Leo Docherty. Both sides discussed boosting bilateral relations in various fields, especially the parliamentary domain, and latest regional and international developments. The meeting was attended by members of the joint committee.

The visiting British parliamentarians lauded the strong role played by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as a global 'Humanitarian Leader' and underscored importance of Kuwait as an 'International Humanitarian Center'. In an interview, the parliamentarians also commended His Highness the Amir's role in easing the pain caused by the crisis in Syria through the organizing of three international donors conferences. They also lauded Kuwait's stance on the Yemeni conflict via hosting peace talks to end the crisis there. The British parliamentarians affirmed that such gesture reflected Kuwait's strong role both regionally and internationally.

Docherty expressed joy towards the current visit to Kuwait, saying that it would reinforce the decades of strong relations between the two nations. Britain views Kuwait as an old and strategic ally in the region, said the MP who indicated that both nations were eager to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the Friendship Treaty signed in 1889.Democracy in Kuwait is a very important matter, said Docherty who affirmed that both the UK and Kuwait could further develop their democracies to better serve their respective people. In regards to discussions with the Kuwaiti National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee, the British MP said that the meeting focused on developing relations on all possible levels.

Docherty, as the head of the British parliament's defense committee, said that he was eager to further bolster ties within this domain. Asked about his views in regards to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as an organization, the British MP stressed that it was important for the region to have the GCC intact because it was within the interest of the UK. On the British-Russian dispute over the Salisbury incident, MP Docherty said that the House of Common shared a unified stance on the issue, which is considered as a violation of international law.

Meanwhile, British MP Alistair Carmichael said that the UK parliament was keen on addressing vital issues in the Middle East especially the Syrian crisis. The issue in Syria has tragically turned from a "civil" to a 'proxy war' as chaos continues to enthuse, said Carmichael. On the Brexit, MP Carmichael affirmed that the step would provide various investment and commercial opportunities for partners from beyond the EU. Britons, he said, eye Kuwait as one of the countries, which will exponentially development UK investments and commercial exchange. Speaking on the nuclear deal with Iran and the US withdrawal from the agreement, Carmichael said that his government supported the deal because it opened channels of negotiations and dialogue with the government in Tehran. The British parliamentary delegation arrived in Kuwait Wednesday on a three-day visit. - KUNA