Australian Foreign Minister lauds Kuwait’s humanitarian work

Kuwait brings Global Efforts together to Rebuild Iraq After great Sacrifice

14/2/2018

(Translation appears in Arabic section)

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah congratulated the Iraqi people on the victory achieved that led to the defeat of the so-called Islamic State (IS) and abolishing it from most of its soil. His remarks came during the official inauguration of the Kuwait International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq (KICRI) yesterday. Governments, global funds, organizations and investors pledged billions of dollars in loans and investment at the conference for Iraq, a nation reeling from a three-year war against IS.

The significant level of participation in this conference, whether government, civil or private, comes as a global recognition of the magnitude of sacrifices by Iraq in its fight against terrorism, HH the Amir noted, pointing out that the international community seeks to reward these sacrifices that turned the lives of Iraqis in IS-controlled areas into a “living hell”.

The results of this conference are a continuation of all “our” efforts, the Amir said. “Yet, we should not neglect the suffering of our brothers in Syria and Yemen due to the ongoing conflicts taking place there, but we are confident that we and the international community will support them as soon as security and stability are restored.”

Sheikh Sabah added that the magnitude of destruction inflicted on Iraq by terrorist groups cannot be overlooked, which requires Iraq to embark on an inclusive reconstruction process that will cover infrastructure and other public utilities, a task that cannot be borne by Iraq alone, which is a matter that has urged “us” to call on the international community to partake and shoulder its responsibility.

“In light of our realization of such consequences, we considered the vital role of the private sector in reinvigorating the investment environment in Iraq. Last night, more than 2,000 businesses from the private sector came to examine investment opportunities in Iraq. Also, non-governmental organizations contributed in lessening the suffering of the Iraqi people,” he said.

HH the Amir, during the speech, extended appreciation to Iraq, the United Nations, the European Union and the World Bank, all as co-chairs of KICRI, along with the host country. He concluded by announcing $1 billion in loans to Iraq through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, as well as another $1 billion in investments in Iraq.

Kuwaiti FM: KICRI participants total pledges reached USD 30 bln

14/02/2018       

KUWAIT-- Kuwait Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said Wednesday that total contributions by countries participating in Kuwait International Conference on Reconstruction of Iraq (KICRI) has reached USD 30 billion.

Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said, in his speech at the closing session of ministerial meeting, that this amount came as result of a broad momentum that came from 76 participating countries, along with 51 international development funds, 107 local and international NGOs, in addition to 1,850 representatives from the private sector.

Meanwhile, Abdullah Al-Maatouq, chairman of the Islamic International Charity Organization (IICO) said the number of pledges at the NGO Conference to Support the Humanitarian Situation in Iraq has reached 337 million dollars.

Al-Maatouq, made in his capacity as a representative of the NGO meetings at the closing session of the Ministerial Meeting of KICRI, during which he reviewed the results of NGOs conference.

Al-Maatouq added that these pledges will be in accordance with humanitarian and development programs in Iraq, especially in areas affected by armed conflicts there, which will be distributed in the areas of health, housing, education, rehabilitation and other humanitarian fields.

IICO chief noted that participants from all parties stressed importance on the need to respond to the humanitarian situation in the areas affected by the armed conflicts and on establishing a mechanism to follow up on the execution of these programs through periodic meetings and follow-up reports.

On another front, Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) Abdulwahab Al-Bader said that the estimated amount needed for Iraq's reconstruction is estimated at USD 88 billion, adding that the current estimated losses due to war in Iraq has reached USD 46 billion.

Al-Bader said, as a representative of the private sector meetings in the closing session, that the "high-level experts meeting for the reconstruction of Iraq and the role of financial institutions" was held in the presence of about 420 individuals from various financial institutions, investment companies from different countries around the world.

Al-Bader added participants underlined the importance of supporting reform programs in Iraq, for the purpose of reconstruction, in addition to enhancing the social aspect in different regions of Iraq, and to brief various development institutions on the reconstruction process.

Finally, the President of Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Abdulwahab Al-Wazan said that Kuwait's private sector position coincide precisely with the State of Kuwait position in supporting Iraq.

AL-Wazan added such position by KCCI would also contribute to efforts exerted for developmental projects in Iraq to the point of reaching a comprehensive viable developmental partnership based on good neighboring and joint interests.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.

Australian Foreign Minister lauds Kuwait’s humanitarian work

KUWAIT: Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop wrapped up her visit yesterday and thanked Kuwait for its significant contribution to humanitarian work and its special role in rebuilding Iraq. Bishop met several officials here, including Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah. She said they had very positive discussions on various issues and opportunities for greater engagement between Australia and Kuwait, particularly in trade and investment.

“While we are quite far geographically, after arriving here, it takes only a moment to realize that we have amazing synergies between our economies,” she said. “There are significant Kuwaiti investments in Australia in two sectors; liquefied natural gas (LNG) and electricity. We see more opportunities for investments in Australia; likewise, opportunities for Australian companies in Kuwait. We have several Australian companies here. Educational cooperation is another important area with great potentials. Many Kuwaiti students are studying in Australia, and we would love to see more,” Bishop said.

“We also discussed tourism, and encourage more Kuwaitis to visit Australia and Australians to come to Kuwait. We discussed agriculture and see the potential for improvement. Overall, there were very positive meetings and opportunities for both countries,” she emphasized. Bishop said Kuwait-Australia bilateral relations are excellent and strong, and lauded the country for its successful hosting of the conference of the global coalition to fight IS. “We discussed counterterrorism issues too – Kuwait is an important part of the Gulf, and we see increasing Australian engagements with Kuwait,” she noted.

Bishop hailed Kuwait’s humanitarian role, saying it has always been a leader in many fields, stressing the importance of Kuwait in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “I would like to see our relationship deepen,” she said. The ministers signed a memorandum of understanding to establish regular meetings between the officials, and Bishop invited her Kuwaiti counterpart to visit Australia soon. “One of our military generals visited Kuwait, and a trade minister from Australia visited Kuwait in 2015,” she noted.