(With photos)

KUWAIT, Nov 13 (KUNA) -- Kuwait Book Fair is highly popular among Arab publishers and readers alike, and freedom in the country falls within the frame of laws and legislations, said Information Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah on Tuesday.

The only books that are banned in Kuwait are those that desecrate God or Kuwait "which we will not allow, not now nor in the future," he said to reporters at the inauguration of the country's 32nd Book Fair.

He reiterated the Information Ministry's keenness for promoting culture, intellect and arts, and stressed the importance of keeping up with all developments in these areas, as well as protecting local culture and heritage.

As for publications of the ministry and the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL), Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid said they had "a clear impact in Arab states and have clearly achieved their goal, namely that of promoting culture."

The minister welcomed the participation of different publishing houses in the book fair, saying that they bore the responsibility of maintaining "our culture and identity" and raising awareness among readers.

Asked about dissolving the Information Ministry, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid said, "There will be no dissolution, but a restructuring of ministry sectors will be carried out in order to improve efficiency."

The minister took a tour of the fair and met with representatives of the participating publishing houses. Also at the inauguration were Information Undersecretary Sheikh Faisal Al-Malik Al-Sabah, NCCAL Secretary General Bader Al-Rifai, ambassadors, as well as several officials and media figures.

The fair hosts 538 local publishing houses and 477 foreign ones, of which 55 are official publishers from 23 countries. More than 109,800 book titles are on display, including 11,891 new publications.

A lecture by Lebanese columnist Samir Atallah on Kuwaiti journalism will be held on the sidelines of the fair, as well as a poetry reading, a seminar on the situation of new local newspapers, as well as a seminar on Kuwaiti poetry.