Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah will kick off on Tuesday an official visit to Türkiye, his first state visit to the country since he ascended the throne last year.
Kuwaiti Ambassador to Türkiye Wael al-Enezi said the visit caps six decades of strategic cooperation between their countries.
In remarks to the Kuwaiti state news agency (KUNA), he added that the trip will bolster the close bilateral relations between them on the political, economic, trade, investment, defense and security levels.
Moreover, he underscored the significance of the trip being the first Sheikh Meshal makes to a country outside the Gulf Cooperation Council and Arab states.
This reflects the importance of cooperation and coordination between Kuwait and Ankara and their visions for development, especially amid the major challenges in the Middle East and world, he went on to say.
The challenges demand the greatest levels of coordination and consultations to address them and achieve the interests of both countries, he added.
Sheikh Meshal’s visit is taking place as Türkiye and Kuwait celebrate 60 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties between them.
Enezi noted that the decades have been marked by significant achievements and moments in their shared history. He cited the signing of 62 memoranda of understanding and joint protocols throughout that period.
Sheikh Meshal and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are expected to discuss the most pressing regional and international developments, starting with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, added the ambassador.
Meanwhile, Turkish Ambassador to Kuwait Tuba Nur Sonmez said the Gulf country was a source of stability in the region.
Relations between Türkiye and Kuwait are a model of relations between countries, she told KUNA.
She underscored the respective leaderships’ strong political desire to boost cooperation and integration between Türkiye and Kuwait.
Furthermore, she noted that they share common visions on peace and stability in regional issues.
The developments in the region and world demand greater dialogue. “We place importance on close consultations and dialogue with Kuwait over regional issues,” said Sonmez.
Discussions during Sheikh Meshal’s visit will cover the situation in the Gaza Strip, as well as trade and defense industry affairs, she stated.
Increasing trade and investment with Kuwait “is one of our most important priorities in the short term”, she revealed.
The volume of trade between Türkiye and Kuwait reached 700 million dollars in 2023 “and we are aiming to double this figure in the coming years,” she said. Kuwait boasts investments worth 2 billion dollars in Türkiye in 2023.
She noted that the country introduced a series of reforms that should improve the investment environment in Türkiye, stressing that its economy was growing at a stronger pace than ever.
In addition, Türkiye welcomes around 400,000 Kuwaiti tourists a year, she revealed, hoping the figure would continue to grow.
