KUWAIT: Kuwait continued in 2020 to maintain its strong foreign policy based on defending the rights and interest of the Arab and Islamic nations. The country also continued the role as a humanitarian center and supported peace worldwide. The following are the most important foreign policy events and steps, which Kuwait undertook in 2020:
Feb 10: UN renewed its trust in Chairman of Kuwait's International Islamic Charity Organization (IICO) and Amiri Diwan advisor Dr Abdullah Al-Matouq as a special advisor for the Secretary-General for a new period of four years.
Feb 20: Kuwait opened a military coordination office in India to bolster defense cooperation.
March 5: Kuwait donated $3 million to China to help in the efforts combating the spread of COVID-19.
March 13: Kuwait and Saudi Arabia handed the United Nations a copy of the agreement on the neutral zone and submerge nearby between the two countries.
March 17: Kuwait donated $4 million to support the World Health Organization's (WHO) efforts against COVID-19.
March 25: Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah launched the first phase of Kuwaitis repatriation from abroad amid the coronavirus crisis.
May 29: The European Union declared that Kuwait donated $100 million for international efforts aimed at producing a vaccine against the novel coronavirus.
Aug 10: Kuwait and Guyana inked an agreement for mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, special and service passports.
Sept 16: The Foreign Ministry declared receiving human remains presumed to belong to Kuwaiti prisoners who were missing during the 1990/91 Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait. The Kuwaiti embassy in Iraq declared, earlier in the day, receiving remains of 21 persons from the Iraqi Government.
Sept 16: Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah affirmed Kuwait's unwavering support for Yemen in a virtual statement addressed to a ministerial meeting on Yemen, held on sidelines of the UN General Assembly's 75th session.
Sept 21: Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah affirmed during the virtual general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Kuwait's unwavering advocacy of rending the Middle East free of nuclear arms and weapons of mass destruction, underscoring the necessity that Israel join the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Oct 22: Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah declared, during the conference for supporting the Rohingya, affirmed Kuwait honored its pledge toward this cause, contributing $5 million.
Oct 15: Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah declared, during the conference for the third strategic dialogue for the UNRWA, presenting $1.5 million for backing up the UN refugee agency.
Nov 22: The commission for the prisoners and missing at the foreign ministry declared that the identity of seven persons' remains that were brought from Iraq were identified.
Nov 24: Foreign Minister, Acting Information Minister and Chairman of Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development, Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, signed a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the American agency for international development. He made the announcement on the sidelines of an official visit to Washington where he headed the Kuwaiti delegation at the fourth session of the Kuwaiti-US the strategic dialogue held on November 9-24.
Nov 27: Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah declared, during the 47th meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, donating $150,000 for a special fund for a suit filed with the International Court of Justice on the plight of Muslim Rohingya.
Dec 4: Foreign Minister and Acting Minister of Information Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah revealed that "fruitful" negotiations on the Gulf crisis had occurred. The dialogue aimed at achieving Gulf and Arab stability. Saudi Arabia expressed gratitude towards Kuwait's efforts to resolve the Gulf crisis. - KUNA