LOC01:37
22:37 GMT
KUWAIT, Aug 11 (KUNA) -- Kuwait's cabinet on Wednesday expressed deep concerns about the dangerous consequences of the threats to security and safety of maritime navigation in the waters leading to the Arabian Gulf and waters surrounding the Sea of Oman and the Sea of Arabia.
The cabinet, in a meeting held today at Seif Palace under the chairmanship of the His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, also voiced backing to the presidential statement issued by the UN Security Council on August 9 on the importance of ensuring maritime safety and safeguarding oceans' legitimate use, according to a statement read out following the meeting by Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah.
It noted the UNSC statement has outlined the international references and laws related to the protection of the maritime routes, which are lifelines for the global economy.
The cabinet reiterated Kuwait's call for all parties to adhere to relevant international conventions and treaties, mainly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2000 United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.
The government also expressed Kuwait's readiness to work with the international community to retain the security and safety of maritime routes and ensure the unhindered movement of ships in global trade routes.
On Yemen, the cabinet strongly condemned the continued attempts of the Yemeni Houthi militias to threaten the security of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The continuity and escalation of these hostile actions which target the security of the Saudi Kingdom and the stability of the whole region and ignore the international community efforts to end the conflict in Yemen are blatant violations of the international law and the international humanitarian law, it said.
The international community should take a swift action to stop these acts and hold perpetrators accountable to their actions, the cabinet added.
It voiced Kuwait's full support for the Saudi Kingdom in all the measures it takes to maintain its security, stability and sovereignty.
It welcomed the appointment of Mr. Hans Grundberg as a new UN Secretary General's Special Envoy to Yemen. The cabinet wished him all success in his mission to help find a solution to the Yemeni conflict based on the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative and its executive mechanisms, outcome of the Intra-Yemeni dialogue, and the UN Security Council resolution No. 2216.
The cabinet renewed Kuwait's backing to all international endeavors to find a political solution to the Yemeni crisis with the main goal of putting an end to the sufferings of the Yemeni people and boosting security and stability in the region.
Meanwhile, the government expressed sympathy and solidarity with Algeria, Turkey and Greece which are witnessing huge wildfires that left material and human losses.
The cabinet extended condolences to the three countries for their human losses and wished speedy recovery for those injured by the fire.
It also wished success for the local authorities in controlling the fire soon.
In this regard, the cabinet expressed appreciation of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's directives to offer a helping hand to the three friendly countries and to contribute to their efforts to extinguish the wildfire.
The cabinet also instructed all the relevant Kuwaiti government bodies to offer all kinds of support to these countries to bring fire under control, through dispatching firefighting and rescue equipment and teams.
At the onset of the meeting, Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah briefed the cabinet about his recent visit to Tehran to represent His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah at the inauguration ceremony of the new Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. He pointed out that he has also handed the Iranian leader a letter from His Highness the Amir.
The cabinet congratulated the Iranian president on the post and wished success in his missions in a way that enhances the region's security and stability. (end)
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