Minister of French armed forces: Relations with Kuwait are deep

KUWAIT: National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanem received yesterday a delegation representing the French Senate, headed by Chairman of the French-Gulf Friendship Committee Senator Jean Bockel. The two sides discussed means of cementing bilateral relations at the parliamentary level. A number of MPs and the French ambassador attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah received Bockel and his accompanying delegation. The two sides discussed the historic and solid ties between the State of Kuwait and the friendly Republic of France, means of reinforcing the cooperation and coordination at various levels. A number of ministry officials and the French ambassador attended the meeting. The French delegation arrived in Kuwait on Sunday on a four-day official visit.

Also yesterday, Speaker Ghanem received at his office a Jordanian media and journalists’ delegation currently on an official visit to the country — led by head of Jordanian journalists union Rakan Al-Saaidah. The Jordanian delegation also includes the Director General of Jordanian News Agency (PETRA) Mohammad Al-Omari, Jefra’s website Editor in Chief Nedal Fara’ne, Al-Dustour newspaper’s Editor in Chief Mustafa Riyalat, beside other journalists. The meeting was attended by MPs Mubarak Al-Harees, Abdullah Al-Enezi and Ali Al-Degbasi, as well as Assistant Undersecretary for Media Affairs at the Ministry of Information Faisal Al-Metlegim, and Director of Arab Countries Media at the Ministry, Lulwah Al-Salem.

Separately, Kuwait’s Finance Minister Dr Nayef AlHajraf held talks yesterday with Uzbekistan’s deputy foreign minister Dilshod Akhatov, focusing on bilateral trade and economic relations. The meeting comes ahead of joint Kuwaiti and Uzbek ministerial committee’s talks scheduled for June of next year, the Kuwaiti finance ministry said in a statement. Amid their encounter, the officials discussed what more Uzbekistan can do to lure much needed foreign investment, in addition to the agenda for the forthcoming talks, the statement added.

In other news, Iraqi Minister of Trade Mohammad Al-Ani expressed during his meeting with Kuwaiti Ambassador Salem Al-Zamanan yesterday his country’s desire to increase the economic ties between Iraq and Kuwait. The Ministry of Trade said in a release that Minister Ani discussed during the meeting with the Kuwaiti Ambassador ways of strengthening the economic ties and means of boosting commercial exchange between the two countries.

Minister Ani stressed on the importance of activating ongoing deals between the two sides in light of the need of having a vision that is based on cooperation and interaction in several fields. He also noted Iraq’s need in investing in the private sector of Kuwait and building new partnerships with the private sector. Ambassador Zamanan showed Kuwait’s willingness in developing the bilateral ties in all fields. — KUNA