By Faten Omar
KUWAIT: Ambassador of the European Union to the State of Kuwait Anne Koistinen welcomed journalists to the new premises of the EU Delegation to the State of Kuwait in Al-Hamra Tower, following the presentation of her credentials to HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Nov 15, 2023. Koistinen said that during the presentation of her credentials, she was warmly welcomed by HH the Crown Prince. She said that she was delighted and honored to speak with him about ways to build on the strong partnership between the EU and Kuwait.
There are several areas of mutual interest to further develop EU-Kuwait relations. Koistinen said she intends to jointly enhance bilateral relations across various sectors, including political cooperation, trade and investment, energy, climate change, economic diversification, education, health, research and innovation, as well as regional security and stability.
"We share with Kuwait the belief that humanitarian aid is vital in supporting vulnerable people in the region and beyond. In this context, I would like to praise Kuwait for its humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in Gaza. It is worth noting the European Union is the largest international donor to the Palestinian people, and since October 16, the EU has launched a humanitarian air bridge bringing over 550 tons of humanitarian supplies for the Palestinians in Gaza.
As the High Representative of the EU for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell said the EU calls for a political solution based on the two-state solution,” she said, adding this is EU’s shared objective with Kuwait, building on the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative. "I am really sad at the tragic loss of life among all civilians and hope that peace would eventually prevail,” she said.
Borrell said during his visit to Kuwait last year that the "EU is the second biggest trading partner for Kuwait, but we can still do more together”. Koistinen made it clear that her mission is to translate these words into action, working in "Team Europe” spirit together with EU member states. "A strengthened partnership is beneficial both for the EU and Kuwait, with the EU being the world’s largest single market, a leader in research and innovation, an important security actor in the Gulf region and the leading actor on global challenges such as climate change and digitalization.