Preparations underway for Hollande's visit to Kuwait - diplomat

KUWAIT, May 31 (KUNA) -- Preparations are currently underway for the upcoming visit of French President Francois Hollande to Kuwait, a Kuwaiti diplomat said Tuesday.
President Hollande's visit to the country will be "historic" and "pivotal" in boosting the Kuwiati-French ties, Ambassador Waleed Al-Khubaizi, Assistant Foreign Minister for Europe Affairs, stated to reporters on the sidelines of attending the French embassy's National Day celebration.
The two sides are also working round-the-clock to prepare files and documents that will be discussed and eventually signed during Hollande's visit to the country, Al-Khubaizi said.
This year, Kuwait and France will celebrate the 52nd anniversary of their diplomatic ties, he noted, pointing out the number of "significant deals" signed between the two countries during His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah's visit to Paris.
Among the signed deals, an agreement to boost the military cooperation between the two countries, under which the Kuwaiti army acquires French arms and purchase H225M helicopters to bolster its air force fleet, said the Kuwaiti diplomat.
He said a French cancer treatment hospital would open a branch in Kuwait soon, the first in the Middle East. (end) hrz.ma