KUWAIT: Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif touched upon the situations in the region and the ties between the two countries during a meeting they had recently on the sidelines of Munich Security Conference, a senior Kuwaiti official said.

"There is continued communications with Iran and visits by Iranian officials to Kuwait," Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah told reporters on Monday. He noted that it is normal that the two ministers hold meetings, describing their talks as "positive and constructive." "We think that these meetings are useful and will be in the interest of the region's interest and the efforts seeking calm, in addition to the bilateral ties," he stressed.

Gulf crisis
Meanwhile, Jarallah reiterated Kuwait's continued mediation to solve the Gulf crisis, saying "we will not lose hope in the continuation of this mediation." On Kuwait's communication with China on coronavirus, he said Kuwait has expressed its solidarity with China towards this big healthy catastrophe. He stated that the Kuwaiti Cabinet has previously announced medical assistance to China, saying "we will continue offering support and aid to friends in China to face this big healthy disaster."

Regarding the US peace plan on the Palestinian cause, he said Kuwait has voiced its stance towards this issue. "We highly support and appreciate the US efforts. The plan is related to a cause of a nation who have been suffering more than 70 years," he said. He stressed the necessity of ending this suffering, saying "this will be achieved through a solution based on the international legitimacy and the relevant UN resolutions, the Arab peace initiative and the two-state solution to establish a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital."

Distinguished relations
Jarallah was speaking on the sidelines of participating in the Canadian Embassy's ceremony on the National Flag of Canada Day. The senior Kuwaiti diplomat commended as deep-rooted and distinguished his country's relations with Canada, saying that "we look forward to boosting the ties with friends in Canada."

"We share our friends' national occasion. The ties between the two countries are distinguished, and there is continuous communication and common interests between them," he said. The recent visit by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Kuwait stressed the developed ties between the two sides. Trudeau held talks with senior officials on the ties between the two friendly countries, Jarallah noted. He said that there are Kuwaiti investments in Canada estimated at more than $10 billion, indicating that 500 Kuwaiti nationals are studying there.

He pointed out there are many opportunities for Kuwait to invest in Canada that are an addition to the bilateral relations. He pointed to the notable petroleum cooperation between Kuwait and Canada, which is a broad field for communication and coordination between the two sides, in addition to energy in general. "We believe that investment opportunities and the development of relations between the two countries are favorable and promising at the same time," he said. He expressed appreciation to the Canadian supportive role to the State of Kuwait's right during the 1990/91 Iraqi Invasion. - KUNA