Melania Trump receives Kuwait-America Foundation Humanitarian Award

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump, US First Lady Melania Trump, Kuwait’s Ambassador to the US Sheikh Salem Al-Sabah and his wife Sheikha Rima Al-Sabah are seen at a special ceremony held at the Kuwaiti Embassy. — KUNA

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump lauded HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and his influential role in the Middle East region. In statements to the audience at a special ceremony held at the Kuwaiti Embassy in Washington for honoring the US First Lady Melania Trump for her humanitarian services, the US president thanked the Amir of Kuwait "for all that he is doing in the region", saying "there is a lot of things happening in the Middle East". He recalled his meeting with Sheikh Sabah in September, saying: "I met a man who is really helping us, really very strongly helping us in the Middle East."

The US president also thanked everyone for this special evening and thanked the Kuwait-America Foundation for honoring Melania Trump. The dazzling gala dinner for UNHCR, hosted by Kuwait's Ambassador to the US Sheikh Salem Al-Sabah and his wife Sheikha Rima Al-Sabah honoring Melania Trump, the recipient of the Kuwait-America Foundation 2017 Humanitarian Award, comes less than a year since the Trumps moved into the White House, which highlights the close ties Kuwait and the US share.

President Trump described Kuwait's Ambassador to Washington Sheikh Salem Al-Sabah and his wife Sheikha Rima Al-Sabah "as very special people who have become friends". During the evening, the Senate passed its fiscal year 2018 budget resolution, where Trump received the news and told the crowd that the ambassador and his wife "must be good luck". "On behalf of my entire cabinet who are here tonight - we have a lot of them - I want to thank everybody in this room. We've all come together as a family very much. The world is actually coming together," he remarked.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in his remarks that "one reason we are here tonight is to celebrate the flourishing and always strong US-Kuwaiti partnership". He affirmed that Kuwait "is an important strategic partner for the US in the Middle East and our relationship is growing". Meanwhile, UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres said in his remarks that the ambassador "has the privilege to serve one country and one leader that he admires", and that Kuwait under the leadership of HH the Amir "represents the most fantastic combination of wisdom and generosity". He added that in the Middle East today, the Amir has been "a constant voice for reconciliation, dialogue, a bridge builder and a messenger for peace". - KUNA