Turkish-Kuwaiti joint committee helped to boost ties: Al-Khubaizi
‘Protocol signed resolving real estate dispute’
ANKARA, Oct 9, (KUNA): The high Turkish-Kuwaiti joint committee helped bolster ties between the two countries, said Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry’s Assistant Minister for European Affairs Waleed Al-Khubaizi Wednesday.
Speaking during the committee’s second meeting in Ankara, cochaired with Turkish counterpart Sedat Onal, Al-Khubaizi said that the committee – formed in 2013 – focused on bolstering the 55 years of diplomatic ties.
The strong diplomatic relations contributed to the strong commercial exchange between Kuwait and Turkey, which reached $689 million last year, affirmed the Kuwaiti diplomat, adding that efforts to improve that digit will be discussed during the upcoming meeting for the Turkish-Kuwaiti high economic committee in Turkey in March 2020.
Al-Khubaizi revealed that the number of Kuwaiti tourists increased from 65,000 in 2012 to 259,000 this year, a testament of the strong desire to boost tourism ties.
The Kuwaiti official took the chance to thank the Turkish authority for facilitating procedures for Kuwaiti citizens visiting Turkey, saying that this would add to the level of relations between Kuwait and Turkey.
On his part, Onal lauded Kuwait’s important position within the regional and international spheres, saying that the Gulf country play an integral role in promoting peace, welfare, and stability worldwide.
The Turkish official affirmed that both nations took strong strides to develop relations, indicating that joint meetings between Kuwait and Turkey were a major contributor to the bolstering of relations.
Meanwhile, after a sideline meeting with Onal, Al-Khubaizi said that the matter of resolving real estate dispute between Kuwaiti investors and Turkish owners was discussed, revealing that a protocol was signed in this regard.
Al-Khubaizi revealed that the final meeting for the Turkish-Kuwaiti joint committee – headed by Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad AlSabah and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu – would be held soon with several agreements expected to be signed. Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs during his meeting with a group of entrepreneurs. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Anas Al-Saleh reiterated on Tuesday the Central Agency for Public Tenders’ (CAPT) eagerness in supporting Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), involving them in tenders submitted by the state through the agency.
Al-Saleh said, in a press statement, after meeting with a group of entrepreneurs who submitted their proposals and vision to the executive regulation of amendments, that SMEs represent a major nerve of the national economy, in which the National Assembly approved it during the last session of CAPT.
He welcomed the proposals made by the group of entrepreneurs, approving their involvement with the authority in preparing executive regulations for amendments to the law of CAPT.
Al-Saleh underlined needing to achieve the full benefit of recent amendments for owners of SMEs. (KUNA)