Kuwait, Kiribati establish diplomatic ties

By Salwa Jandoubi NEW YORK, March 5 (KUNA) -- The State of Kuwait and the Republic of Kiribati signed a joint statement establishing diplomatic relations to foster cooperation and interaction in political, economic and cultural spheres.
On the Kuwaiti side, the joint statement was signed, late on Tuesday, by Permanent Representative of the State of Kuwait to the United Nations Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi. For Kiribati, the statement was signed by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kiribati to the United Nations Makurita Baaro.
In remarks to KUNA and Kuwait Television following the signing ceremony, Ambassador Al-Otaibi said, "We are pleased to establish ties with the Republic of Kiribati, a small nation of coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean", and added a host of Pacific Ocean nations are currently working to establish an important bloc within the UN.
The decision to establish relations "is in harmony with our strong belief in importance of establishing ties with all countries of the world, and particularly UN member states.
"As members of the UN, we are bound by its objectives and obliged to work on boosting economic and social relations. We (nations) need one another ... no state can overcome global challenge in isolation.
"We are all concerned with issues including climate change, proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, terrorism, and much more." The ambassador further stressed the two nations have a great deal more in common. "We are both small nations and we need to make ourselves heard within the UN. Therefore we and Kiribati, and many other small states, join blocs. One such bloc is the Asian Group which is an influential bloc within the UN through which we coordinate nominations for positions within UN Agencies and committees," he said.
"In addition, we are also members in the Forum of Small States and Group of 77 and China which is a strong player in the economic field," the senior diplomat added.
Al-Otaibi further noted, "we are also engaged in cooperation, coordination, dialogue, and understandings. Accordingly, the State of Kuwait also took the decision to open an embassy in New Zealand which would handle relations with many nations in the Pacific Ocean region, including Kiribati.
The State of Kuwait had in 2013 established diplomatic relations with Tuvalu, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Vanuatu, Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines.
Kiribati Ambassador Makurita Baaro for his part told KUNA and Kuwait TV following the signing ceremony that the move is a "major milestone" in the relationship between the two countries.
She said, "Today symbolizes the first step, but we need to work hard to develop the relationship so that it is not only a relationship on paper, but a relationship that can be meaningful." She noted the two countries can cooperate in areas such as supporting each other's candidatures for the various UN organs, and people to people contacts.
She predicted that it would take a while for Kiribati to open an embassy in Kuwait, because so far the country has only three missions: at the UN, Fiji, and Taiwan, noting that Kuwait is the first Arab country Kiribati chose to have diplomatic relations with.
"Kuwait is an important partner ... We have done our homework, and I think there is a lot we can learn from Kuwait. There is nothing like strong partnerships to develop ... that can benefit both our peoples," she said.
The Republic of Kiribati, which joined the UN in 1999, is an island nation in the central tropical Pacific Ocean with a population of about 100,000 people living on 800 square kilometres. It is composed of 32 atolls and one raised coral island, Banaba, scattered over 3.5 million square kilometres.
Kiribati is one of the world's poorest countries. Copra and fish represent the main production and exports. Its income is mostly from foreign aid and UN assistance. Its economy is based on tourism, worker remittances, and limited period fishing licenses for Taiwan and Japan.
Kiribati maintains close relations with most countries, mainly its Pacific neighbours, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, which provide most of its foreign aid.(end) sj.wsa KUNA 051013 Mar 14NNNN