LOC00:35
21:35 GMT
KUWAIT, Dec 4 (KUNA) -- The Cabinet, in its weekly meeting on Wednesday, commended His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's speech at the 45th GCC Summit, which Kuwait hosted on Sunday and the Summit's declaration.
In a statement following the Cabinet meeting, held at Bayan Palace under the Chairmanship of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Shereeda Al-Mousherji said the Cabinet hailed the content of His Highness the Amir's speech at the opening session of the summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council Member States leaders.
The Cabinet also shed lights several key points in His Highness the Amir's speech and the Kuwait Declaration.
During his speech, His Highness the Amir affirmed that this gathering "is a testament to our unity, an embodiment of the strength of our union, and a reflection of our unwavering belief in the necessity of enhancing and unifying GCC joint action."
"Together, we strive to broaden the scope of cooperation to meet the aspirations of our people, ensuring security, prosperity, and stability for our nations," he said.
"This necessitates accelerating our efforts to achieve GCC economic integration through unified policies, diversification of non-traditional income sources, facilitation of trade and investment, and support for local industries."
His Highness the Amir also called for expanding innovation and entrepreneurship, especially in emerging fields such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), to enhance the competitiveness of our economies regionally and globally.
"Our journey toward building an integrated Gulf economy relies on key pillars, foremost among them education," he indicated, adding, "We aim to nurture the talents of our youth, inspiring them to contribute to the integrated Gulf economy we envision."
His Highness the Amir also reiterated Kuwait's condemnation of the Israeli Occupation brutal aggression on Palestinian territories and the genocides committed against Palestinian people.
He urged, "The international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to fulfill its responsibilities by ensuring the implementation of relevant resolutions, halting the violence, providing international protection for innocent civilians, and securing safe corridors for urgent humanitarian aid."
"We reiterate our unwavering support to Palestine and to end the Israeli occupation, attain all their political rights, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international resolutions," he stressed.
His Highness Sheikh Meshal also denounced the Israeli Occupation's repeated attacks on Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Iran.
He underlined that the principle of good neighborliness and dialogue is fundamental in overcoming challenges.
"We reaffirm our call to Iraq to rectify the legal status of the agreement regulating maritime navigation in Khor Abdullah, resume the meetings of the technical teams associated with it, and return to work in accordance with the 2008 Security Exchange Protocol," he said.
"Additionally, we urge the resumption of meetings of the joint legal technical teams to complete the demarcation of the Kuwaiti-Iraqi maritime borders beyond boundary point number 162 in accordance with international law and UN's Convention on 1982 Law of the Sea," he also added.
His Highness the Amir added, "we would also like to emphasize our hope that the support of the leaders will ensure the continued follow-up by the Security Council, exclusively, on the issues of prisoners, missing persons, and Kuwaiti property, including the national archives, after the expiration of the mandate of the UN's Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).
The Cabinet also reviewed the Kuwait Declaration which was issued at the conclusion of the 45th GCC Summit on Sunday.
On Lebanon, the Kuwait Declaration recalled Kuwait and GCC efforts to support Lebanon and expressed full solidarity with the sisterly country. The GCC leaders also welcomed the 60-day ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, expressing hope it would lead to an end to the conflict, Israel's withdrawal from Lebanese territories, implementation of UNSC Resolution 1701, and the return of displaced people.
The Declaration condemned Israeli attacks causing civilian casualties and infrastructure damage, as well as assaults on UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
On the situation in the Gaza Strip, the GCC leaders in their declaration condemned the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the targeting of innocent civilians forced to be displaced and even killed if refusing to move.
They called for an immediate ceasefire and the uninterrupted entry of humanitarian relief aid to the war torn Palestinian region.
They affirmed that the Israeli occupation must take full responsibility for the killing of tens of thousands of innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip, namely women, children, and elderly, which were all crimes against humanity.
In the Kuwait Declaration, the GCC leaders highlighted the importance of strategic investments in areas including artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity.
These technologies, they noted, have placed the GCC in a leading position to capitalize on the global digital transformation, with applications in renewable energy, healthcare, education, transportation, and financial services.
The leaders also called for enhanced cooperation among GCC countries to develop joint digital strategies, facilitate e-commerce, advance digital payment systems, and strengthen cybersecurity.
Regarding Al-Durra Field, the GCC leaders affirmed that Al-Durra Field lies entirely within Kuwait's maritime zones, and reiterated that the natural resources in the submerged area adjacent to the Saudi-Kuwaiti divided zone, including the entirety of Al-Durra Field, are jointly owned by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
These two countries have the rights to exploit the resources in accordance with international law and relevant agreements, and the leaders firmly rejected any claims by other parties over the field or the adjacent submerged area.
The GCC leaders urged Iraq to resume meetings of the legal and technical teams concerned with border demarcation beyond border mark 162. They also called on Iraq to respond to Kuwait's request to resume meetings of the Kuwaiti-Iraqi Joint Committee for regulating maritime navigation in Khor Abdullah.
They emphasized the importance of Iraq respecting Kuwait's sovereignty and territorial integrity, adhering to bilateral and international commitments, and abiding by relevant UN Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 833 (1993) concerning the Kuwait-Iraq border demarcation.
They called on Iraq to work towards completing the maritime border demarcation beyond mark 162 and to adhere to the maritime navigation agreement in Khor Abdullah signed on April 29, 2012.
They rejected the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court's ruling and its historical inaccuracies, deeming any unilateral actions by Iraq regarding Khor Abdullah invalid. They also rejected Iraq's unilateral annulment of the 2008 security exchange protocol and related agreements.
The GCC Supreme Council reaffirmed its support for UN Security Council Resolution 2732 (2024) and underscored the importance of continued UN monitoring of issues related to Kuwaiti prisoners, missing persons, and property, including the national archive. It advocated appointing a high-level coordinator by the UN Secretary-General to follow up on these matters, urging Iraq's cooperation to achieve a resolution.
The Council decided to renew the mandate of Jassem Al-Budaiwi as Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council for an additional three-year term starting February 1, 2026, in recognition of his significant contributions and effective efforts in advancing the Council's