Kuwait, Switzerland lobbying for Gaza conf. - Al-Ghanim

KUWAIT, Aug 27 (KUNA) -- Kuwait's National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanim said Wednesday that Switzerland sought Kuwait help to ensure the success of the planned international conference of the state parties to the Geneva Conventions on impacts of the Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip.
"The State of Kuwait will do its utmost to capitalize on the network of its special ties with various countries around the world to lobby for this conference geared to alleviate the suffering of our brothers in Gaza," he told KUNA and Kuwait TV.
Al-Ghanim made the comments after the two meetings held by the Kuwaiti parliamentary delegation, led by him, on one hand, and President of the Swiss Council of States Hannes Germann and President of the National Council Ruedi Lustenberger in the presence of heads of the foreign affairs committees of both chambers of the Swiss Federal Assembly, on the other.
"The time and venue of the planned conference will be announced by the Swiss side after 40 - 50 countries approve holding, and taking part in, the conference.
"The top Swiss lawmakers promised to lobby their government for holding the conference given the fact that Switzerland is the seat of the Four Geneva Conventions," he pointed out, warning against the attempts by the Zionist lobby and their allies to block the gathering in a bid to cover up on the recent Israeli crimes in Gaza.
"We have told our Swiss friends that we can understand the neutral policy of their country but we cannot do so when it comes to humanitarian issues such as the recent massacres in Gaza.
"We made clear that the Zionist regime violated all rules of war, sets forth in the Four Geneva Conventions, and committed war crimes against civilians in Gaza," he disclosed.
He highlighted the importance of the role of Switzerland in alleviating the suffering of the victims of humanitarian disasters such as the recent atrocities undergone by the Palestinian people on a daily basis in Gaza.
Al-Ghanim said that he was informed by Swiss lawmakers July 10 of a request submitted by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for the Swiss Federation to host the conference.
He reaffirmed Kuwait support for Palestine in holding the gathering.
On the bilateral relations with Switzerland, Al-Ghanim said they were discussed today along with other regional issues with the Swiss top lawmakers who were invited to visit Kuwait for further deliberation.
"Both Kuwait and Switzerland share the desire to strengthen cooperation in all fields notably the economic, parliamentary, academic and health ones," he added.
On his part, Kuwait Ambassador to Switzerland Bader Al-Tunaib welcomed the outcome of the visit of the parliamentary delegation to Switzerland and their meetings in Bern.
Kuwait and Switzerland are in consensus on necessity of dealing with the "horrific situation" in Gaza urgently, Al-Tunaib said in statements to KUNA.
"The parliamentarians of both sides share the concern about several international issues including the means to tackle the crisis in Gaza where scores of Palestinians were killed or injured as a result of the Israeli military onslaught.
"The Kuwaiti and Swiss views are in full harmony with respect of the necessity to halt the Palestinians' plight in Gaza Strip, as well as on the necessity to deal with the horrific humanitarian situation in an urgent manner," he affirmed.
The visit by the Kuwaiti lawmakers coincided with efforts by the State of Kuwait to nudge the international community hold a conference to tackle the civilians' hardships in Gaza, Ambassador Al-Tunaib added.
The significance of the visit and the issues discussed were highlighted in similar statements by other members of the delegation, namely MPs Ahmad Lari, Humoud Al-Hamdan, Abdullah Al-Mayouf, Mohammad Al-Enezi, Mohammad Al-Barrak and Yousuf Al-Zalzaleh. (end) mmj.gb