By Fawaz Esmairan Al-ULA, Saudi Arabia, Oct 1 (KUNA) -- Kuwait has never wavered in its backing for Syria across various periods of time, Syria's Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Kabawat said on Wednesday, hailing such support as a testament to the depth of bilateral relations.
Kuwaiti support for Damascus dates back 14 years, the bulk of which entailed humanitarian aid and relief support, particularly when the nation was in the throes of a civil war that erupted in 2011, the minister told KUNA on the sidelines of the Munich Security conference leaders' meeting in the Saudi city of Al-Ula, expressing her gratitude over such backing that helped realize the aspirations of the Syrian people.
When the Syrian civil war was raging on, Kuwait took the initiative on three different occasions to hold a donors conference meant to provide immediate aid to Damascus, while in 2016, Kuwait partnered with the United Kingdom to host a similar gathering in a show of support for Syria, the minister recalled.
More recently, Kuwait took part in a European Union-hosted conference last March that supported a Syrian-led and owned transition with the aim of ensuring lasting peace and prosperity for Syrians, the minister added, acknowledging the copious amounts of aid that Kuwait-based funds and charities delivered to Syrian refugees abroad.
The two-day gathering's agenda addresses pressing matters running the gamut from global trade, regional crises and energy transitions to nuclear safety and global cooperation in energy and economics. (end) fn.nam