KUWAIT: Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense (MoD) Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Meshal Al-Sabah underscored the longstanding and strategic Kuwaiti-British relationship, marked by consistent cooperation, particularly in security and defense. In a press statement released Tuesday, MoD quoted Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Al-Sabah as saying, after his participation in the ceremony at the British Embassy marking the 125th anniversary of diplomatic ties between both sides, that the Kuwaiti-British bilateral relations are founded on partnership, friendship, and collaboration across various domains, particularly in security, defense, investment, culture, and education.

Ongoing efforts to enhance collaboration in the defense sector, particularly in education and joint military training, highlight the exceptional military relationship between both nations, he explained. Assistant Undersecretary of the Kuwaiti MoD, Sheikha Dr. Shamayel Ahmad Khaled Al-Sabah, attended the celebration along with several military officers from the UK. On Tuesday, the British Embassy hosted a reception to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the establishment of historical ties between both countries, which was attended by senior officials from both sides and several heads of diplomatic missions.

Exceptional relations

In another development, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Al-Yahya affirmed on Tuesday that Kuwait was proud of its strong historical and exceptional relations with the United Kingdom, affirming that his country would seek all venues to bolster ties. This came during Minister Al-Yahya’s reception of British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, who is visiting Kuwait to launch the Kuwaiti-British Partnership 2024. Minister Al-Yahya stated that this visit came within the framework of the commemoration of the 125th anniversary since the signing of the Anglo-Kuwaiti agreement in 1899.

Believing in the importance of reviving and celebrating this historical event, both governments signed an agreement to declare 2024 the Year of Kuwaiti-British Partnership during the visit of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, then Crown Prince, to the United Kingdom last August. The exceptional relations between the two nations have flourished over more than a century and branched out to include all fields. They were established through the historical and honorable positions of the two countries and through mutual solidarity and continued cooperation.

The minister recalled with gratitude the positions of British solidarity with Kuwait to ensure the independence and sovereignty of Kuwait, like the British position on the brutal Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Minister Al-Yahya pointed out that the Kuwait Investment Office’s 71-year presence in London contributed to economic support for both countries and became one of the most important and largest sovereign funds worldwide.

He added that the number of Kuwaiti students on scholarships to study in the United Kingdom reached record levels — about 9,500 — as the United Kingdom is one of the first major destinations for Kuwaiti students. At the end of his statement, Minister Al-Yahya said that the two nations are committed to continuing to broaden and strengthen bilateral relations between Kuwait and the United Kingdom for more developments at all levels. — KUNA