Blinken’s visit to Kuwait ‘affirmation of enduring ties’
WASHINGTON: US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Peninsula Affairs Daniel Benaim said Friday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to Kuwait is “an affirmation of the enduring ties between the United States and long-standing partner Kuwait”. In a teleconference briefing with reporters, Benaim said that during the visit on Wednesday, Blinken will meet the senior Kuwaiti leadership and “consult on a wide range of issues befitting two close partners”.
“This visit comes in a year where we mark two important milestones in the bilateral relationship, the 30th anniversary of Operation Desert Shield and the liberation of Kuwait. as well as the 60th anniversary of our diplomatic ties, ties that we hope to build on with this trip,” he added. “Our partnership has only grown stronger and deeper over the last 30 years. Kuwaiti mediation and statesmanship were vital to the healing the Gulf rift that helped pull US partners in this region back together, so we’re grateful for that and look forward to discussing a variety of different regional issues,” he affirmed.
“On a variety of different issues - Kuwait works to end conflicts, bridge gaps, de-escalate tensions and provide humanitarian aid and we welcome the chance to consult closely - on other regional issues of concern,” Benaim noted. “Today, we are finding new and important areas to cooperate, particularly when cooperation is needed on the world stage. Our partnership on Covax and work to increase COVID-19 vaccine distribution worldwide is adding to the response to stem the growth of this international health crisis,” he added.
Asked by KUNA on the next US-Kuwait Strategic Dialogue, Benaim said “our governments are in constant cooperation and contact about the next dialogue, which we hope will be soon”. The governments of the US and Kuwait held the fourth US-Kuwait Strategic Dialogue in Nov 2020.