BRUSSELS, Jan 24 (KUNA) -- European Union High Representative Josep Borrell has described Kuwait as a close and reliable partner and praised Kuwaitآ’s moderating role in the region.
"Kuwait stands out as a close and reliable partner of the European Union. This meeting will give me the opportunity to underline the appreciation for Kuwaitآ’s moderating role in the region and the intention to reinforce our bilateral relations," Borrell told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) ahead of a working dinner he hosted in honour of Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah in Brussels Sunday night.
"Certainly I am very happy to meet the minister here in Brussels and to know more about the mediation that the minister has done with the Lebanese," said the EU foreign policy chief referring to the visit of the Kuwaiti foreign minister to Lebanon before arriving on his first trip to Brussels.
Borrell said he has invited the Kuwaiti foreign minister for the next EU-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ministerial that will take place on 21 February in Brussels to discuss the future of partnership.
"We want to build a broader and strategic partnership with Kuwait and with other GCC members," he said.
Borrell said they will discuss during their meeting key global issues such as the green and digital transformation as well as oil, renewable energy, trade, investment, security, development cooperation humanitarian assistance "Kuwaitآ’s role as the current chair of the Arab League offers an additional opportunity for further engagement on regional challenges and in our shared neighbourhood. So there are many important reasons to meet with the minister," he said.
Borrell told KUNA that bilateral EU-Kuwait relations are "very good and there is room for improvement as always but certainly we have a strong and profitable relations with Kuwait." On his part, the Kuwaiti foreign minister said he is very happy to be in Brussels and to meet his friend and colleague the EU High Representative Josep Borrell.
"EU-Kuwait relations are diverse and deep and there are many common basss between Kuwait and the EU. We highly value these relations and we both Kuwait and the EU have all the intention to strengthen ties in all sectors," he said.
He noted that during the working dinner they will discuss many issues related with the challenges and common denominators both in the region and on the international level.
"The important thing is that we will share ideas and listen to our European friends their views on the challenges that our region is facing," he added. (end) nk.mt