KUWAIT: After being briefed on the coronavirus situation in the country by Health Minister Sheikh Dr Basel Humoud Al-Sabah, the Cabinet decided in its weekly meeting on Monday to maintain the requirement for passengers flying into Kuwait to obtain a PCR examination certificate from a laboratory approved by the Kuwaiti ministry of health. Ministers also approved the reopening of the Abdaly land border crossing for export operations to resume.

The Cabinet held its weekly meeting remotely, headed by HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamed Al-Sabah. The Prime Minister briefed ministers on the speech he gave, on behalf of HH the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, during a remotely-held United Nations General Assembly session.
During the speech, he announced Kuwait's pledge of $290 million to global coronavirus combat and vaccine efforts. He also affirmed Kuwait's steadfast support of the Palestinian people in their efforts to obtain their legitimate rights and Kuwait's condemnation of attacks on Saudi Arabia by the Iran-backed Houthi militia and its support of all measures assumed by Riyadh to preserve its security and stability. Kuwait also called on Iran to take confidence-building measures and to initiate dialogue, based on respect for state sovereignty, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said.

On the global political scale, the Cabinet expressed its "deep regret" over the ongoing military operations between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. The ministers called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for both nations to resort to dialogue, allowing for diplomatic efforts within the framework of international law to achieve a political solution to the conflict in a way that spares the two countries from destruction and bloodshed.
The Cabinet also welcomed the prisoner exchange agreement signed between the Yemeni government and the Houthi group, expressing its hope that this would lead to new understandings for the future exchange of all Yemeni prisoners and detainees. - KUNA