Kuwait: The State of Kuwait and the United Kingdom are partners in defending their joint security and interests, said a British official on Wednesday.

In an interview with Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) and Kuwait Television, Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and United Nations at the British Foreign Office Tariq Ahmad commended the deep-rooted relations between the two countries.

The UK is keen on the security of Kuwait including the country's marine borders, added Ahmad.

He pointed out that his country's stance on the security of Kuwait was evident during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August of 1990, adding that cooperation between the two sides went beyond defense and also included other aspects.

Ahmad added that during the 19th meeting for the British-Kuwaiti Joint Steering Group -- hosted by Kuwait late Tuesday -- the two sides tackled ways to advance and develop cybersecurity.

The meeting was co-chaired by Kuwait's Deputy Foreign Minister Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi and Lord Ahmad.

The Steering Group meetings, held every six months, had contributed to the exceptional relations between the United Kingdom and Kuwait and led to several leaps in bolstering cooperation on many domains, he affirmed.

Kuwait is one of the oldest investors in the UK and this year will be celebrating Platinum Jubilee of the Kuwait Investment Office (KIO), opened some 70 years ago and considered one of the oldest investment offices in Britain, he said.

The UK State Minister indicated that he was looking forward to meeting Kuwait Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in London next month for the strategic dialogue between the two countries, which would be another addition to the long illustrious history of friendship and cooperation.

The British official lauded Kuwait's humanitarian contributions to the victims of the recent devastating earthquake that hit southern Turkiye and northern Syria, commending the nearly USD 70 million public donation by the people of Kuwait and USD 100 million donation by the government.

On global issues, Ahmad said that one of the major challenges was the Russian military operations in Ukraine, which required the international community to take a solemn stance on the issue.