Austria praises Amir’s role as mediator in region
VIENNA: Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl affirmed yesterday that Kuwait is a strategic ally to Austria and the European Union in Middle East as well as Gulf States and their continuous efforts as a mediator in the region. “Kuwait and Austria share a long lasting, stable and friendly relationship since establishing diplomatic relations in 1965, our relationship is based on mutual trust and respect and I hope that we can further deepen and enhance our bilateral cooperation in the future,” the Austrian Foreign Minister said.
Austria values His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s role as a mediator in the region and Kuwait’s contribution as non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, she added. She noted that she would meet with top Kuwaiti officials
since Austria is holding the EU rotating presidency until the end of this year and talk about matters concerning the relationship between the European Union and Kuwait as well as with the GCC. The minister pointed out that she is looking forward to hear Kuwait’s assessment of regional issues, such as the GCC, Yemen, Syria, Libya, Iraq and Iran as well as Kuwait’s efforts with regard to regional diplomacy.
The national development plan ‘New Kuwait 2035’ offers opportunities for Austrian companies to take part in some of the planned major projects, for example in infrastructure, health care or energy, said the minister. “The European Union and Kuwait have recently taken their cooperation to the next level. In late November, a high-level official meeting took place in Brussels in order to foster collaboration in various areas, such as renewable energy, development cooperation, humanitarian aid, as well as security and the fight against terrorism,” she added. The minister said that Kuwait is a strategic and important partner of the EU in the region, while the opening of an EU Delegation in Kuwait in the course of 2019 underlines the importance the EU attaches to Kuwait.
In response to the question about visa requirements for passport holders of Kuwait and other Gulf citizens, the minister said Visa-free access for Kuwaiti citizens to the Schengen area is an issue that has to be discussed at the EU-level. Adding that the Austrian Embassy in Kuwait works hard to issue visas as quickly as possible and issues almost 11,000 visas every year, most of which are for Kuwaiti and Gulf citizens. The minister responded to question about Austria’s policy towards the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians by saying, Austria still holds the view that a two-state solution, with Israel and a Palestinian State living in peaceful co-existence, within mutually recognized borders, continues to be the only option for lasting peace.