By Faten Omar
KUWAIT: Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf affirmed during her visit to Kuwait her country's commitment to strong relations with Kuwait, saying that this visit, which will include several countries in the region, is meant to reconfirm the agenda of US President Joe Biden for the Middle East and limit escalation of conflicts in a number of countries.
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During a press conference on Wednesday, Leaf said the Middle East will always be in US' interest and priority. "The president has said repeatedly the US cannot and won't do everything alone, so we work in partnership with Gulf countries, Egypt, Iraq and others to fight and help the region come through the crisis. We have food security, climate change and health issues, and we must address these problems," she said.
Regarding the situation in Iran, she said: "Iran is a major contributor to regional insecurity; the problem is growing over time. It has been providing advanced weaponry and missiles and all sorts of defense technology. Iran poses the biggest threat to regional security and stability." Leaf affirmed that the State Department is leading efforts to pressure Iranian leaders to make them renounce their nuclear ambitions, noting that this effort is the US government's approach that includes allies and partners.
On Iran's ongoing protests that were sparked by the death of a young woman Mahsa Amini, Leaf affirmed that the Iranian government's actions are considered a suppression and violence against freedoms. "We support the Iranian people in their current cause. We want them to gain their freedom and choice in whether to cover their hair or not," she said.
Concerning the US-Palestinian relationship, she said: "Our priority is to resume and rebuild the poor state of relationship between the US and Palestinian leaders for the benefit of Palestinian people and their security. We have connected with senior levels of Palestinian authorities to encourage reconnecting. The US president has a deep commitment for Palestinians to have a state of their own."
Leaf revealed that the US had a different perspective from the OPEC+ group on reducing production, because the group's decision will raise economic pressures. "OPEC+'s decision to cut oil production came at the worst possible moment and will add to global inflationary pressure. The international community has just emerged from the pressures of the epidemic, and some countries are still suffering from the repercussions of the Ukrainian war, and we do not see the time for the decision to reduce production," she said.
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Dana Stroul, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East, affirmed the importance of the US-Kuwait strategic partnership, revealing that both countries will exchange views on regional security challenges, including border security threats. "We are here in Kuwait to see the country's view on how we can develop our partnership. Both sides agreed on the importance of continuing to advance the US-Kuwait defense partnership through joint training and regional cooperation to address shared threats," she noted. Stroul added: "Kuwait has been a generous host to many US forces, especially to fight Daesh, along with our partners."
She revealed that joint training and exercises are to be held to enhance the bilateral relationship and to make sure that both countries can work together in the event of a crisis. "Every single member of the GCC is important, where there is a value placed in our relationship. Our goal is to work with GCC countries to share intelligence and information, and to make sure that our air forces, navies and armies can work together. We are committed to working together to face sea, air and land threats," Stroul said.
Leaf is visiting several countries in the Middle East such as Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman from Oct 11 to 22 to meet senior government officials and representatives of NGOs and civil societies.