By Islam Abdulfattah
CAIRO, April 13 (KUNA) -- Egyptian-Kuwaiti relations are distinguished by their special nature and strong ties, spanning decades through fruitful joint cooperation, coordination on regional and international issues, and full solidarity across various milestones.
These historical relations have set an exemplary model for inter-Arab relations as Egypt was among the first countries to recognize Kuwait's independence in 1961, continuing its supportive stance toward Kuwait during the Iraqi invasion in 1990.
Kuwait was also one of the first countries to support Egypt during difficult times, particularly during the Suez Crisis in 1956, the 1967 and October 1973 wars, continuing its support for Egypt until today.
Kuwaiti-Egyptian relations has witnessed a new and historic phase with the state visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to Egypt in April 2024, at the kind invitation of the Egyptian President Abdulfattah Al-Sisi, marking His Highness the Amir's first official visit to Egypt after assuming power.
During the visit, the Egyptian President awarded His Highness the Amir the Order of the Nile, the most prestigious Egyptian medal given to presidents, kings and Amirs in recognition of their roles.
The medal was in recognition of the strong relations between the two countries, and in recognition of His Highness the Amir's prestigious position and high status.
During The 13th session of the Kuwaiti-Egyptian Joint Committee, held in Cairo on September 12 last year, ten memoranda of understanding and executive programs were signed, outlining future vision for joint cooperation.
These memoranda covered competition protection, industrial export development, environmental protection, tourism, youth and children, housing and construction, media and sports, and scientific and technical cooperation in planning.
In a statement to KUNA, Egyptian journalist and Arab affairs expert Osama Ajaj said that the relationship between Kuwait and Egypt is distinguished and of extreme importance.
He pointed to the support of the late Egyptian President Jamal Abdulnasser during Kuwait's declaration of its independence, saying that the late president declared his country's recognition of Kuwait and facilitated Kuwait's membership into the Arab League and the United Nations.
In 1967, Kuwait rushed to provide support to Egypt after the Israeli occupation aggression and formed Al-Yarmouk Brigade, fighting alongside Egyptian forces in the Suez Canal battle against Israeli occupation, resulting in approximately 40 martyrs, including officers and soldiers.
In August 1990, Egypt was among the countries that quickly rejected the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and participated in the international coalition "Operation Desert Storm," where its forces played a significant role in expelling Iraqi forces from Kuwait and declaring the end of operations in February 1991.
Regarding economic and trade cooperation, Ajaj said that Kuwait ranks third in the Arab world in terms of economic cooperation, with Kuwaiti investments reaching USD 20 billion.
He added that more than a quarter of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development's projects are located in Egypt, in addition to Kuwait's contributions to infrastructure projects such as power plants and land reclamation.
For his part, political analyst Ashraf Abdulaziz said that Kuwaiti-Egyptian relations extended back to before Kuwait's independence through joint cooperation, particularly in cultural fields.
This cooperation was marked through Zaki Talimat's visit to Kuwait, as well as the launch of Al-Arabi magazine, which was launched in Kuwait and became a beacon for Arab cultural and media work.
He noted that Kuwait was one of the countries keen to support Egypt during the 1976 and 1973 wars, as well as during the June 30 Revolution, where it was present and supportive of the demands of the Egyptian people.
He praised the wise policy of Kuwaiti leadership in addressing all regional issues, saying that this distinguishes Kuwait from other countries and adds value to the bilateral relations between the two countries.
He also praised the official visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to Egypt last year, which reflected the strength and solidity of relations between the two countries. (end) ism.ao