Kuwait - Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah received on Monday a letter from President Bashar al-Assad on the regional situation and the importance of activating Arab solidarity to confront challenges facing the Arab nation, conveyed by Vice President Farouk al-Shara.
During the meeting, Emir of Kuwait expressed appreciation of Syria's efforts in regards to Arab affairs, hailing the results of the summit held in Damascus between President al-Assad and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia.
Talks also dealt with a number of Arab, regional and international issues, with both sides agreeing upon the need to push the Arab efforts forwards in order to preserve Arab rights and interests.
The meeting was attended on the Syrian side by Presidential Political and Media Advisor Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban, Assistant Foreign Minister Ahmad Arnous, and the chargé d'affaires at the Syrian Embassy in Kuwait.
On the Kuwaiti side, the meeting was attended by Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Ahmad al-Sabah, Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah, and the Kuwaiti Ambassador in Damascus.
Later, Mr. al-Shara held a meeting with the Crown Prince in the presence of the Kuwaiti Prime Minister , during which the two sides discussed means of bolstering bilateral relations between the two countries.
The meeting was also attended on the Kuwaiti side by Deputy Commander of the National Guard Sheikh Mishaal al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak al-Mohammad al-Mubarak, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Sheikh Ahmad Fahd al-Ahmad al-Sabah, the Foreign Minister, and the Ministers of Housing Affairs, Legal Affairs, Justice, Endowments, and National Assembly Affairs.
Later, the Crown Prince held a luncheon in honor of al-Shara attended by members of the Syrian and Kuwaiti delegations.
Mr. al-Shara was received earlier at Kuwait International Airport by the Crown Prince, the Deputy Commander of the National Guard, the Prime Minister, Acting Speaker of the National Assembly of Kuwait Dalehi Saad al-Hajeri, and several high-ranking Kuwaiti officials.
"Mr. al-Shara conveyed a message from President Bashar al-Assad to the Emir of Kuwait to brief him on the outcome of the visit of the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to Syria and the Syrian-Saudi summit which was positive and had distinguished results", Dr. Shaaban said in a statement in Kuwait.
Shaaban pointed out that the meeting focused on the Arab situation, the situations in the region and Iraq and how to unify the Arab ranks and enable the Arabs to defend their rights, adding that President al-Assad has stressed since the Damascus Summit in March 2008 that "the Arabs are in one boat" and that he would work for this Arab harmony.
Shaaban stressed that the Palestinian situation, the judization of Jerusalem and the Arab situation in general are of priorities to Syria, indicating that Arab solidarity is the aim Syria is seeking in order to defend the Arab rights.
Shaaban pointed out that as President al-Assad started the talk on the importance of the Arab solidarity in Damascus Summit 2008, this relation achieved a turning point at Kuwait Summit in January 2009 as Emir of Kuwait made excellent steps and initiatives to unify the Arab rank which Syria appreciates.
She described the Syrian-Kuwaiti relations as distinguished, pointing out that Kuwait supports the Arab right and Syria's right to restore the Occupied Golan, saying "The Golan Forum and al-Shara's visit to Kuwait come after the summit of President al-Assad and King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz in order to activate the Arab solidarity and restore the Arab right by the hands of the Arabs.
For his part, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister said that the meeting between Emir of Kuwait and al-Shara was lengthy that reflected the exceptional relation between Syria and Kuwait, as well as the relation between Emir al-Sabah and President al-Assad. He added that al-Shara's visit to Kuwait in which he conveyed a letter from President al-Assad to Emir al-Sabah came in the appropriate time, underlining the importance of Syria's role in regional contacts. Al-Salem Al-Sabah said the talks dealt with bilateral ties as well as situations in the Middle East and a set of regional and international issues.
He also underscored the role of Kuwait in the Arab economic summit at the beginning of the current year and its efforts to narrow Arab viewpoints and start Arab reconciliation. Al-Sabah also underlined the importance of contacts between leaderships of Syria and Kuwait in the coming phase, especially that Kuwait is to assume presidency of Gulf Cooperation Council, and in view of its current position as president of the Arab economic summit.
By H. Sabbagh / Fadi Allafi /Manal Ismael/Mazen
© SANA (Syria Arab News Agency) 2009
