KUWAIT: Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Ahmad Al-Nasser Al-Sabah attends the Non-Aligned Movement's virtual meeting. - KUNA

KUWAIT: The world should not wobble in the face of increasing adversity, Kuwait's foreign minister told his counterparts from countries that form the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) yesterday, citing the COVID-19 pandemic as an unprecedented challenge.

As the world continues to grapple with hardships ranging from conflicts and crises to disasters and pandemics, Sheikh Dr Ahmad Al-Nasser Al-Sabah urged NAM member states, amid Serbia-hosted talks via video link, to navigate the COVID pandemic with "optimism." The Kuwaiti minister said the Cold War era bloc's "core mission" remains unchanged since its inception back in 1961, which is to ensure a world where "peace and parity" abound, as embedded in UN resolutions and conventions.

"We remain shoulder-to-shoulder with the international community in the pursuit of global justice, "the minister emphasized, saying the world is dealing with hardships at every corner, the latest of which was the coronavirus pandemic. On the COVID pandemic, he said it "caught the world off guard," but hoped that the next time the bloc meets, "the worst of the pandemic would have elapsed." - KUNA