KUWAIT: Ambassador of Spain to Kuwait Manuel Hernández Gamallo praised the relations between his country and Kuwait, describing them as a deep and solid relationship based on shared values and cultural affinities. He stated that this month marks the sixth anniversary of the establishment of the Embassy of Spain in Kuwait.

During his remarks at the reception of the Spanish National Day, the ambassador said: “Spain is one of the oldest nation-states in the World. On October 12, we commemorate our deep historic links with Spanish-American countries, a vibrant community of nations on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean,” noting that Spain also shares with the Arab world a common historical bond, beyond the political changes and historical contingencies.

He added that Spain, positioned at the crossroads of diverse cultural and geographical areas, extends this strategic placement to its foreign policy and diplomacy, rejecting pessimistic views of a world dominated by conflict and power struggles. “In Ukraine, in Gaza, in Sudan, and other parts of the world, Spain advocates for peace based on the relevant UN resolutions. In pursuit of this peace, there cannot be double standards. On May 28, Spain – along with other like-minded countries – recognized Palestine as a State and a member of the United Nations and took an irreversible step towards the two-state solution,” the Spanish ambassador said.

Meanwhile, he affirmed that his country salutes Kuwait as a staunch defender of International Law and as a first-rate contributor to humanitarian causes in the Middle East and other parts of the world, expressing best wishes to Kuwait for a successful tenure as the rotating president of the GCC in the coming year.

“The visit of King Phillip to Kuwait last December, to present his condolences for the demise of former Amir Sheik Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, may he rest in peace, was a recent hallmark in the brotherly relations between our Royal Houses. The political consultations between our vice ministers of foreign affairs, held last July in Kuwait, were a recent development at the diplomatic level,” he stated.

He pointed out that Spain and Kuwait have signed agreements and memoranda of understanding on cooperation in the economy, infrastructure, transport, and tourism, hoping to contribute to the fields of civil infrastructure, energy, water management, high-speed railway systems, transportation, health, food security, defense, naval capabilities, communications, radar detection and other areas encompassed in the Vision 2035.

“We want to stimulate cooperation between the relevant bodies in the field of joint investments. We expect to hold, in Kuwait next year, a joint economic committee, which will surely facilitate the progress in those fields,” the ambassador revealed. Spanish ambassador highlighted that around 450 Spaniards are living now in Kuwait, presenting in the sectors of education, business, sports, health, engineering, and others. He noted that people-to-people relations are flourishing. On tourism, he indicated that 150 thousand people traveled in 2023 from Kuwait to Spain, looking forward to the air reconnection between Kuwait and Madrid in 2025.