LOC02:52
23:52 GMT
VIENNA, Jan 25 (KUNA) - Members of the fifth parliamentary friendship group of Kuwait's National Assembly hailed Thursday the outcome of talks held in Vienna with Austrian peers.
"The parliamentary group's visit to Austria was a success," head of the parliamentary group MP Osama Al-Zaid told KUNA and Kuwait TV, adding that all the visit goals were achieved.
Al-Zaid pointed out that the Kuwaiti parliamentary delegation has gained the Austria's support to Kuwait in a number of important issues, mainly the Khor Abdullah waterway navigation agreement, which was signed between Kuwait and Iraq in 2012.
He stated that the talks with the Austrian lawmakers tackled a wide array of key political, economic and educational issues.
Al-Zaid pointed that they touched upon the ongoing Israeli occupation's aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Despite of disagreement, there was a desire to bring views closer on this issue, he said.
The Kuwaiti lawmaker reiterated Kuwait's support to the Palestinian people's struggle to get their legitimate rights.
He stressed that need to differentiate between terrorism and the occupied people's right to defend themselves.
Al-Zaid said that an invitation was presented to the Austrian lawmakers to visit Kuwait for further talks.
For his part, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Austrian Parliament, Dr. Christoph Matznetter said in a similar statement that Kuwait is an important partner of Austria, and they have diplomatic relations that go back decades.
He recalled Austria's support of Kuwait during the Iraqi occupation in 1990.
Matznetter said that during the talks, the Austrian lawmakers expressed their country's support for Kuwait's position regarding the Khor Abdullah navigation agreement.
On the Gaza War, he pointed out that the Austrian parliament backed the draft UNSC resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza last October, in line with Austria's position as a neutral country.
He stated that the Austrian and Kuwaiti sides held fruitful talks and that there was a consensus in views on the need to stop Gaza war as soon as possible.
He renewed his country's position in support of the two-state solution to settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
He welcomed the invitation extended to Austrian parliamentarians to visit Kuwait.
During this visit, Austrian economic experts and investment companies in the field of solar energy and recycling will be accompanied, he said.
On his part, Kuwaiti MP Shuaib Shaaban hailed as "very successful" the visit to Austria, saying it focused on parliamentarian cooperation on various issues of common concern.
The Austrian PMs promised to support a draft resolution, to be presented by Kuwait to the coming session of the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) this March, regarding the Kuwait-Iraq agreement on maritime navigation through Khor Abdullah, he said.
The talks with the Austrian MPs dealt with the question of Khor Abdullah, Kuwait stance on Palestine cause, and the efforts to halt the Israeli aggression on Gaza and other parts of the occupied Palestinian territories, Shaaban noted.
Dealing with economic cooperation, Kuwaiti MP Abdul-Wahab Al-Isa highlighted, in similar statements to KUNA, the importance of encouraging the Austrian investors to do business in Kuwait.
The meeting reviewed the promising investment opportunities in such areas as solar energy and other renewables, waste recycling technologies, he said, expressing Kuwait's desire to draw on Austria experience and hi-tech in those areas.
While Austria has a competitive edge in hi-tech, Kuwait enjoys ample investment opportunities in the fields of renewable energies and waste recycling, Al-Isa explained.
MP Hamad Al-Alian said the talks dealt also with Austria's educational system which differs somehow from those of other European countries, he said, noting that he will brief the leaders of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Education on Austria's experience in this field.
The meeting with the Austrian parliamentary committee on education focused on bilateral cooperation regarding the draft legislations on education, scholarships, training and joint scientific research, Al-Alian added. (end)
amq.hss.ibi.gb