KUWAIT: The US Embassy in Kuwait held its annual Independence Day celebration at its premises in Bayan on Wednesday evening. The event was hosted by US Ambassador to Kuwait Lawrence Silverman and his wife Vicki Silverman. Below is a transcript of the speech he gave to open proceedings.

"Good evening all, it's an honor to be here in this beautiful theater, which carries the name of the legendary actor and cultural pioneer Abdulhussein Abdulredha. Thank you to Mr Ali al-Youha and the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters, who have generously sponsored the visit of the musical group you are about to enjoy tonight.

We at the US Embassy appreciate your support and look forward to working with you to bring even more artists and cultural visitors to Kuwait. Such cooperation will be made easier by a new educational and cultural exchanges agreement that Mr Al-Youha and our officials signed during Secretary of State Pompeo's visit here one week ago.

Ladies and gentlemen, you are in for a treat this evening. The group you are about to see and hear, Kyle Dillingham and Horseshoe Road, is a country music ensemble that has performed around the world on tours, wowing audiences from Libera to Thailand to Russia to South Korea. This is the group's first stop on a multi-nation tour and their first visit to Kuwait. They came all the way from the state of Oklahoma to perform for you. I'm not the only Ambassador here tonight; Kyle has been appointed as ambassador for the State of Oklahoma.

American music is as diverse as our people. And while Horseshoe Road is described as country or bluegrass, you will hear many other American musical influences and styles here tonight. While they are in Kuwait, the group will give a workshop on American country music to middle and high school boys and to students at the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training.

Kyle is an incredibly gifted violinist and singer who was featured at the Grand Ole Opry theater in Nashville. He has performed with legends of country music such as Roy Clark and Hank Thompson. It is my honor to introduce our musicians: Kyle Dillingham on the violin, Peter Markes on the guitar, and Brent Saulsbury on the upright bass."