Kuwaiti, Ghanaian foreign ministers attend embassy opening

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, Ghanaian Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey and other officials inaugurate the Ghanian Embassy in Kuwait yesterday. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: The forthcoming conference on reconstruction of Iraq will have broad international participation and a significant contribution, a Kuwaiti official said yesterday. Invitations to the conference have already been delivered the participating countries, international organizations of the United Nations, international financial institutions, and civil society organizations in various countries of the world, Kuwait's Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah told reporters after the opening of the Embassy of Ghana in Kuwait.

Kuwait will host an international conference from February 12 to 14 on reconstruction in parts of Iraq devastated by the war against the so-called Islamic State (IS). Donor countries and organizations are expected to announce financial contributions at the meeting.

Meanwhile, Jarallah reiterated the strong and historic relations between Kuwait and Egypt, and that three days after the Egyptian Foreign Minister issued a statement announcing his country's strong ties with Kuwait, in response to some media reports claiming that Egypt's relations with Kuwait and some other GCC states are tense.

Important milestone

The embassy of the Republic of Ghana in Kuwait opened yesterday in Hateen in a ceremony attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, Jarallah, Ghanaian Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Ghanaian Ambassador to Kuwait Alhaji Rufai Yahaya Iddi and other officials from both countries.

"This event is an important milestone in diplomatic relations between Kuwait and Ghana. Due to increasing political and economic relations between the two countries, Kuwait opened its embassy in Accra in 2015. For the same reason Ghana decided last year to establish a resident diplomatic mission in Kuwait at the ambassadorial level to accelerate the diplomatic, economic, investment and trade relations between the two countries. Our embassy in Riyadh was earlier accredited to Kuwait," said Botchwey.

"Kuwait has made great strides to strengthen its ties with the world, particularly with African countries. In 2013, Kuwait hosted the third Arab-Africa summit, in which Ghana among other African countries participated. Today, through the desire of Kuwait to open up to Africa, many Africans can explore the potential and opportunities that exist between their countries and Kuwait," she said.

"The opening of the Kuwaiti embassy in Accra in 2015 and the opening of our embassy here will further strengthen bilateral relations for the mutual benefit of our two countries and peoples. There are a significant number of Ghanaian citizens and students in Kuwait, and opening our embassy here is opportune to address some of their concerns. I advise my compatriots to be law-abiding and maintain the good relations that exist between Ghana and Kuwait. Opening a new mission is not an easy task, so I want to thank the leadership of Kuwait that contributed in opening our embassy. I also appreciate the role of the other African embassies in Kuwait to facilitate the opening of our mission," Botchwey said.

Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid noted that opening the Ghanaian embassy in Kuwait will complete bilateral cooperation between the two countries. "Kuwait has great relations and cooperation with Ghana in all fields. This ceremony shows Kuwait's interest in Arab-African cooperation and to be present in Ghana. There are about 25 non-Arab African embassies in Kuwait, while Kuwait has diplomatic missions in various African countries. Kuwait-African cooperation is continuous. There are many projects ongoing, including by the Kuwait fund that is very active in Africa including Ghana. I believe that Kuwaiti-Ghanaian relations will develop with the opening of the Ghanaian embassy here," he said.

By Nawara Fattahova and agencies