LOC10:52
07:52 GMT
Report by Saud Al-Ajmi
DOHA, Feb 20 (KUNA) -- The collective wisdom of Kuwait and Qatar's respective political leaders has given impetus to the already exceptional ties between shared between the two Gulf Arab neighbors.
Relations between Kuwait and Doha are based on common goals and ambitions, in addition to their shared desire to bring national development plans to fruition, while the history of bilateral ties has been dotted with notable instances of proximity.
A case in point would be an initiative taken by Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to name a major road that crisscrosses the capital Doha after Kuwait's late Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, in a token of appreciation for the latter's legacy and the memory he left behind.
Bilateral relations have made palpable progress as of late, chiefly, an increase in bilateral trade and economic cooperation, while security and military ties have also been propelled to greater levels thanks in part to more frequent joint initiatives.
As part of efforts to keep bilateral relations on an upward trajectory, a joint higher committee was formed in 2002 with the ultimate aim of keeping the "camaraderie" between the two Gulf Arab countries intact, an initiative that was instrumental in ratcheting up bilateral trade, which skyrocketed to nearly USD one billion in 2018, according to Doha's commerce chamber chief Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Thani.
He cited a growing number of Kuwait-based firms that have dabbled into the Qatari market, revealing that some 635 of these companies are jointly owned by Kuwait and Doha, all of which operate across numerous fields, the official added.
His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is due for a state visit to Doha on Tuesday, as part of a wider tour of the Gulf Arab region, which has already taken him to Oman and Bahrain. (end)
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