NCCAL, IWG organize ‘Kuwait in the eyes of diplomats’

In celebration of Kuwait as the Capital of Islamic Culture for 2016, The National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters and the International Women’s Group Kuwait, organized a panel discussion entitled “Kuwait in the eyes of diplomats” on Wednesday at the Kuwait National Library auditorium. The Amiri Diwan’s Advisor Mohammad Abu Al-Hasan welcomed the ambassadors for the panel discussion. He said, “I served Kuwait as its ambassador in 6 countries, and I know how hard it is to be serving your country and to emerge with the community, like these ambassadors did.”

French Ambassador to Kuwait, Christian Nakhle said that the diwaniya, which includes all spectrums of the Kuwaiti people from all ages and cultures, played an important role to his knowledge of Kuwait. He stressed that his country’s relationship with Kuwait is old and rooted which began when French geographers placed Kuwait on their geographical maps. Adding that France was one of the first countries to recognize Kuwait’s independence, it knows the importance of the development of diplomatic relations with the State, as they invested in Kuwait in August 1961 following its independence. Nakhle pointed out that Kuwait is keen to promote its cultural work with the French by organizing various exhibitions, cultural events, hosting academics and artists referring to the keenness of the French Embassy in turn, on the development of this joint work. He added that there are upcoming projects such as a hospital for cancer treatment, which is scheduled to open soon. About visa, he explained that France is continuing its efforts in facilitating this process, pointing out that last year, nearly 60 thousand Kuwaiti citizens got the French visa. He praised the role of Kuwaiti women in all areas and their struggle for access to political rights and equality with man.

The Egyptian Ambassador to Kuwait Yasser Atef said that the diwaniya was a new experience. He added that diwaniyas distinguish between various components of Kuwaiti society and among the guests from various countries of the world who contribute towards development. He pointed out that he personally felt welcomed after arriving in Kuwait, he saw that Kuwaiti people are aware of Egyptian history, tradition, culture, and art. Egyptian ambassador added that his knowledge of Kuwait did not establish when he become an ambassador but long time ago, “I know Kuwait since I was addicted to reading Al-Arabi magazine and enjoyed its versions, world of knowledge and its distinguished newspapers.”

The Russian Ambassador to Kuwait Alexey Solomatin said that Kuwait was the first country in the Arabian Gulf to establish diplomatic relations with Russia. That’s why there is much more respect and desire to cooperate with Kuwait and exchange visits. We are expecting a proposal from Russia to set up a joint committee with the government of Kuwait. Meetings covering economic, technical, cultural, scientific and education fields, he said. Solomatin said, he took up his duties as a Russian ambassador to Kuwait in the spring of 2013 when the two friendly countries at the time were celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the diplomatic ties.

He said that the relationship with Kuwait is old and rooted since last century when it hosted Sheikh Mubarak Al-Kabeer crews warships of the Russian Imperial Fleet, which was visiting Kuwaiti beaches on its way to the Far East in 1900 and in 1903.

He explained that the Russian political leadership is continuing to develop and strengthen relations between the two countries, particularly through the visits that contributed to the enrichment since the nineties, when the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah, was a guest in Moscow in order to coordinate the positions of the exchange between the two countries towards the most important issues on the regional and international business. Kuwait signed six agreements and memoranda of understanding between the two countries in oil and gas, transportation, direct investment, military cooperation, technical and cultural field.