Kuwaiti premier''s Asian tour reflects East-West "policy balance" – diplomat

Kuna - June 1, 2007 11:13:00 AM

By Najem Abdullah Jakarta

Kuwait's Foreign Undersecretary Ambassador Khalid Al-Jarallah underscored Friday the importance of His Highness the Prime Minister's Southeast Asian tour, saying it "reflects Kuwait's diplomatic and economic foreign policies that are based on balance between the East and the West." Speaking to Kuwait News Agency (Kuna), the undersecretary, who is accompanying the Kuwaiti premier on his tour, said the aim of these visits was to "boost Kuwait's relations with these Asian countries."


His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah started his tour in Vietnam, then Malaysia and Indonesia, and would be going on to East Timor and Singapore.

Asked about the significance of visiting these countries at this time, Al-Jarallah said, "There are many reasons, and one is that we seek to maintain political balance between the East and West, while not forgetting the active economic role played by these countries." The undersecretary also said Kuwait intended to inaugurate an embassy in Vietnam to boost its presence in Southeast Asia.

This tour, he added, had led to signing a number of agreements that would further consolidate Kuwait's bilateral relations with these countries in the economic, political, and technical fields.
Moreover, Al-Jarallah noted the Kuwaiti government's keenness for supporting its businessmen so as to increase investment opportunities and expanding their operations in such promising regions.