Amb Alenezi: Kuwait keen to work with partners to promote sustainability

BRUSSELS, Sept 22 (KUNA) -- Kuwait believes that energy transition is inevitable, and is keen to work with its partners on new initiatives that aim to achieve carbon neutrality and promote sustainability, Kuwaitآ’s Ambassador to Belgium and head of missions to the EU and NATO, Nawaf Alenezi, told a business forum in Brussels.
"In its continuous efforts to attain Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and measure its progress, Kuwait has recently presented its 2nd voluntary national review of SDGs," he told the annual Arab-Belgian-Luxembourg Business Forum held on Thursday evening.
Kuwait has made significant achievements in clean water and sanitization, affordable clean energy, industry innovation and infrastructure, sustainable cities and communities, he noted.
In terms of clean water and sanitation, he said that access to safe and clean drinking water and access to proper and hygienic wastewater networks have been near universal in Kuwait.
"In terms of clean and affordable energy, Kuwait has been successfully pursuing its new energy strategy, combined with a plan to foster economic diversification, reduce fossil fuel dependency and CO2 emissions" said Alenezi.
Around 30 projects are currently being implemented in Kuwait including the development and construction of new roads and railway systems, ports, and airports.
Kuwait has made a commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and is unveiling its comprehensive strategy to realize this goal, he said.
Turning to Q8, the international arm of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, he said that it operates over 1,000 retail gas stations in Europe, has the most advanced blending plant in the Belgian port city of Antwerp and is the largest jet-fuel provider to over 170 airlines in over 70 airports worldwide.
Qaisar Hijazin, Secretary General Arab-Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce in his introductory remarks said this yearآ’s Forum will focus on sustainable development.
He said Arab countries represent together 7th biggest trading partner of Belgium and trade relations between Belgium and the Arab world increased from 20 billion euro (USD 21 billion) in 2001 to 30 billion euros (USD 32 billion) in 2022.
He noted that the ABLCC is engaged since over four decades in promoting trade and economic relations between Belgium and the Arab world.
Jeroen Cooreman, Director-General for Bilateral Affairs in the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said "we need to tackle the challenges of climate change and sustainable development together." He called for closer cooperation between Belgium and the Arab world on renewable energy such as offshore wind and green hydrogen .
"A lot of your countries are coastal states just like us and I believe there is also a cultural and mental proximity between our people that makes us understand each other fairly easily," he told the gathering of Arab and Belgian diplomats and entrepreneurs and representatives of Arab and European companies.
Dr. Khaled Hanafi, Secretary General of Union of Arab Chambers, said that Arab shareholders and investors hold over 51 percent of shares in over 2,800 Belgian companies.
He called for a strategic alliance to re-shape the trade relations between Belgium and the Arab world. "We need to think a different way to handle our businesses together. Instead of just relying on our classical traditional model. We need to think of a strategic alliance in order to be able to penetrate into different markets around the globe," he said.
A number of other Arab ambassadors addressed the Forum expressing their views and opinions on ways to boost trade cooperation between Belgium and the Arab world. (end) nk.rk