In meeting with PM Imran Khan, Kuwait FM expresses firm resolve to expand bilateral cooperation

• Kuwait official thanks PM Imran Khan for country's support during pandemic.
• Both leaders agree need to strengthen bilateral ties in several fields.

• Kuwait's foreign minister is on a two-day visit to Pakistan.

Kuwait Foreign Minister Ahmed Nasser Al-Sabah on Thursday expressed his country's firm resolve to further expand cooperation with Pakistan in diverse fields.

The foreign minister, who arrived in Pakistan today and is on a two-day visit met Prime Minister Imran Khan and Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

In his meeting with PM Imran Khan, Kuwait's foreign minister expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s steadfast support and noted that the two countries always stood by each other at difficult times, the PM's Office said.

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed Pakistan-Kuwait bilateral relations, the COVID-19 situation, and regional issues.

PM Imran Khan reaffirmed Pakistan’s long-standing fraternal ties with Kuwait, rooted deep in shared faith and culture as he lauded the efforts on both sides to build an enhanced partnership.

The premier underscored the imperative of forging deeper economic, trade, and investment cooperation.

"Lauding the successful measures by Kuwait against the global pandemic, Prime Minister Imran Khan highlighted the strategies adopted by Pakistan to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, balancing the imperatives of saving lives and securing livelihoods," the PM Office statement said.

The foreign minister, for his part, thanked the prime minister for Pakistan’s valuable cooperation, especially during the testing times of the global pandemic.

According to the PM Office, more than six hundred Pakistani doctors and paramedics were employed by Kuwait to strengthen its health sector — during the pandemic.

The Kuwait diplomat identified education, economy, trade and investment, and people-to-people linkages as priority areas of cooperation. He underscored the need to further strengthen the institutional frameworks of bilateral cooperation.

The prime minister conveyed that he looked forward to welcoming the Emir as well as the Prime Minister of Kuwait in Pakistan at the earliest convenience.

FM Qureshi meets counterpart

Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met with his Kuwaiti counterpart Al-Sabah and stressed strengthening and diversifying bilateral cooperation with Kuwait in all fields.

The Foreign Office, in a statement, said the visit comes in the backdrop of the bilateral meeting held with FM Qureshi on the sidelines of the 47th Session of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Niger, in November 2020. "The two Foreign Ministers agreed to work closely towards further strengthening and expanding bilateral cooperation in diverse fields," the statement said.

The foreign ministers reviewed several aspects of the bilateral relations — cooperation in political, economic, defence, trade, and investment sectors, and manpower export — and discussed ways to enhance people-to-people linkages between the two countries.

The resolve to continue close collaboration in multilateral fora, in particular, the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), was reaffirmed as well.

FM Qureshi, during the meeting, highlighted Pakistan’s shifting focus to geo-economics with a central emphasis on peace, development, and connectivity.

"Expressing satisfaction at the recently held Bilateral Political Consultations (January 2021), he reiterated the resolve to work together towards achieving mutually agreed goals," the statement said.

The ministers agreed to call the next (5th) Session of the Joint Ministerial Commission as soon as possible. "The need for facilitating travel between Pakistan and Kuwait to provide impetus to bilateral trade was also emphasized."

FM Qureshi invited Kuwait to benefit from the vast and profitable investment opportunities in Pakistan, as he briefed his counterpart on the economic potential of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).