KUWAIT: Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah received on Friday a telephone-visual call from President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Peter Maurer, discussing spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) worldwide. Maurer expressed deep appreciation for the pioneering and distinguished role played by the State of Kuwait in support of afflicted people and its eminent humanitarian status at the regional and international levels, led by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

He lauded effective measures taken by the State of Kuwait in facing the novel coronavirus, safeguarding citizens and residents, expressing gratitude for its continuing support for the ICRC for service of humanitarian work and objectives throughout the world. Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser praised the ICRC humanitarian efforts, namely the close and high-level coordination between the State of Kuwait and the Red Cross.

The long distance contact involved the assistant foreign minister for affairs of the foreign minister bureau, Ambassador Saleh Al-Loughani, the assistant foreign minister for international organizations' affairs minister plenipotentiary Nasser Al-Hayen and a number of senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad on Thursday participated in a virtual extraordinary Arab ministerial meeting. Requested by Palestine, the event addressed Arab action against Israel's plan to annex the West Bank or part of it, and to impose its hegemony on the West Bank and on illegal settlements in Palestinian territories that were occupied in 1967.

FM hosts envoy
In the meantime, Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad received Sri Lanka's Ambassador in Kuwait Othman Jawhar on Thursday. During the encounter, the Kuwaiti minister delivered Jawhar a written letter from His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah to his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahendra Rajapaksa. The letter discussed bilateral relations between both friendly countries and joint cooperation in the fight against COVID-19.

Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad also received a call from his counterpart in Maldives Abdullah Shahid, in which they congratulated each other on the holy month of Ramadan. During the phone conversation, both ministers tackled bilateral ties between both friendly countries and joint cooperation on how to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Moreover, Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad on Thursday contacted his Sudanese counterpart Asma Abdullah, congratulating her on the holy month of Ramadan. During the phone conversation, both ministers discussed close relations between both brotherly countries and ways of further promoting bilateral cooperation in the fight against the novel coronavirus. The Kuwaiti foreign minister prayed to Allah Almighty that Arabs, Muslims and the entire humanity would be relieved of this pandemic and all patients would recover very soon. - KUNA