German Embassy promotes cultural exchange
KUWAIT: On the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, the German Embassy to Kuwait invited local media representatives to an iftar gathering to boost cultural exchange and understanding between communities. German Ambassador Hans-Christian Freiherr von Reibnitz said that this year Kuwait and Germany celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations. “The 60 years of economic, cultural, scientific and interpersonal relationships find their expression today in a continued flow of visitors, lively personal contacts, frequent exchanges and friendships forged over time,” he said.
Regarding mutual interests, he revealed: “German cars have run on Kuwait’s roads from the very beginning of our relationship and the lively fan communities in our two countries celebrate their motor obsession together. Horse and dog-breeding is another shared passion that has brought Arabian thoroughbreds to Germany and German Shepherd dogs to Kuwait. German technologies are providing energy, comfort, IT solutions and life science technologies to Kuwait and Kuwaiti investments are supporting many industrial sectors in Germany. Kuwaiti citizens enjoy their vacations in Germany and Europe and are most welcome guests for us.”
The German ambassador added that the developing areas of cooperation will require all of Germany’s attention, explaining that in times of climate change, energy transition challenges and global water scarcity, there are ample opportunities to jointly look at developing solutions together and Germany stands ready to join efforts, in line with future visions of Kuwait’s development. “In the meantime, both our countries are working to elevate our bilateral relationship to new heights through a strategic dialogue between our foreign ministries,” von Reibnitz said.
Concerning upcoming events, he revealed at the end of April, the embassy will mark the beginning of summer with an event for German companies in Kuwait and they envisage more events this autumn, once the summer heat abates. Meanwhile, he commended the Kuwaiti tradition of visiting diwaniyas, noting that this year marked the second consecutive year with a significant increase in the number of visited diwaniyas, totaling 28, belonging to prominent Kuwaiti families, lauding the diverse topics discussed in these gatherings about political and social issues.
Amidst the tense situation in the Middle East, von Reibnitz highlighted his country’s foreign minister’s ongoing efforts to seek a resolution to the Gaza war, emphasizing Kuwait’s stance on ending the bloodshed. He revealed Germany’s humanitarian engagement in Gaza and the West Bank since October 2023, with increased humanitarian support for the civilian population in Gaza by more than €160 million to a total of around €240 million to date. In this crisis, it thus remains the largest humanitarian donor to the Palestinian territories.