2015 is the year of Egypt

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said Sunday 2015 is year of Egypt which will hold parliamentary elections, an investment conference and an Arab summit meeting in March.
"Kuwait is looking forward to welcoming Egyptian President Abdelfatah Al-Sisi tomorrow," Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said during his meeting tonight with an Egyptian media delegation who are in Kuwait cover the visit.
"The Egyptian President's visit to Kuwait is very important given the identical views of both countries on regional and international issues.
"The visit will open new horizons for cooperation based on the results of the three visits to Kuwait by former interim president Adly Mansour," he pointed out.
The recent meeting of the joint higher commission in Kuwait discussed all aspects of the bilateral ties and cooperation, and led to the formation of a joint committee by the foreign ministries of both countries to tackle issues of mutual interest, he recalled.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled extolled His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to restore Arab concord and support Egypt.
The joint Kuwaiti-Saudi efforts led to the thawing of the Egyptian-Qatari ties, he noted, appreciating the wisdom of the Egyptian leaders in addressing the matter.
It is very important for Egypt to resume its leading role which will reflect positively on the Arab region and help alleviate the current shocks, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said, voicing confidence that Egypt as leaders and people will be able to overcome the current difficulties.
"Thanks to its diversified resources, the Egyptian economy is able to recover at an early date; Egypt's economic recovery is beyond question," he stressed, citing the major development projects being implemented as per schedule.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled affirmed Kuwait's support to Egypt and participation in the investment conference to be held in Egypt this March.
A large economic delegation from Kuwait will take part in the conference in a bid to tap into the ample investment opportunities in Egypt, he went on.
On terrorism Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said this menace faces all countries of the region, notably Iraq where terrorist groups grabbed large swathes of the country.
He commended Egypt's support to the Iraqi government as shown in the recent visit by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry to Baghdad.
"As representative of Kuwait, the current presidency of the Arab Summit, I have led an Arab delegation on a Baghdad visit to convey to the Iraqi leaders a message of solidarity with their efforts to reflect the aspirations of all components of the Iraqi people and overcome the current challenges," Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled noted.
Regarding Syria, he said the armed conflict has a spillover on Syria neighbors and the entire region and the threat is "at our doors." He reiterated the call for finding a political peaceful solution to the conflict.
Welcoming Russia's initiative to host a dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition groups, he suggested that the planned dialogue should rather take place in Egypt - "the elder sister." On Lebanon, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said the Syrian crisis added strains on the country's fragile economy.
He regretted the continued political vacuum resulting from the failure of the political leaders to elect a new president eight months after the expiry of the tenure of President Michel Suleiman last May.
On Palestine, he said the Kuwait-led Arab group to the UN has tabled to the UN Security Council a draft resolution aiming to put an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.
"As the move was blocked, the Arab countries will continue supporting our Palestinian efforts," he said, noting that the coming days will see Arab steps towards Palestinian statehood.
Dealing with the GCC economic strategy, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said it consists of 10 chapters, including the single currency, the customs union, the common market, free trade zones and transportation.
"The strategy is being implemented according to a time table starting from 2015," he said, expressing hope that this year will see achievement of long years of study.
Asked on the possibility of Kuwait canceling the sponsor system, he said the Kuwaiti government is mulling alternatives for this important issue.
Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and Minister of State for Planning and Development Affairs Hind Al-Sabeeh is mulling the matter with a particular care, he added.
Source: KUNA