KUWAIT, Feb 8 (KUNA) -- A Kuwait-hosted conference on reconstruction in war-battered Iraq sends a message to the international community that restoring stability in Baghdad is an international obligation, Kuwait's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said on Thursday.
Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah's remarks came in an encounter with a contingent of Iraqi journalists ahead of the "Kuwait International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq," next week.
He attributed the staggering turnout for the conference to the magnitude of an event that aims to bring normalcy to a country devastated by years of warfare.
"Iraq is an intellectually rich nation with all the capabilities needed to ensure an effective reconstruction process," the Kuwaiti foreign minister pointed out.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled expressed hope that the conference, "which has been in the works for quite some time," would meet its objectives, fresh off Baghdad's military victor over the so-called Islamic State (IS).
The Kuwaiti minister went on to applaud the Iraqis for bringing about the downfall of (IS), which he described as a thorn in the side of the international community.
The Iraqi journalists' meeting with the Kuwaiti foreign minister brought together a bevy of diplomats and officials from both nations, the latest in a series of rendezvous the syndicate has had with officials from across Kuwait's political spectrum.
International organizations and dozens of governments, including the United Nations and European Union are expected to announce aid to Iraq during the February 12-14 meeting. (end) fn.nam