Kuwait Minister: We are not Dissatisfied with the Representation Reduction

Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah Al Mubarak, the minister of state for cabinet affairs and acting information minister.(October 24, 2017. KUNA)
Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah Al Mubarak, the minister of state for cabinet affairs and acting information minister.(October 24, 2017. KUNA)
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Kuwait Minister: We are not Dissatisfied with the Representation Reduction

Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah Al Mubarak, the minister of state for cabinet affairs and acting information minister.(October 24, 2017. KUNA)
Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah Al Mubarak, the minister of state for cabinet affairs and acting information minister.(October 24, 2017. KUNA)

Kuwait's Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Acting Minister Information Sheikh Mohammad al-Abdullah al-Sabah said Wednesday that his country is not dissatisfied with the reduction of the level of representation of Gulf delegations to the GCC Kuwait summit.

Sheikh Mohammad said Kuwait has had the honor of welcoming the representatives of any leader of a GCC member country, adding: "we are dealing with each delegate as the representative of his country's leadership and people."

Speaking at a meeting with the media covering the 38th GCC summit that concluded on Tuesday, the minister said that none of the GCC countries imposed preconditions to participate in the summit, especially with regard to the current crisis with Qatar.

When asked by Asharq Al-Awsat about the crisis and Kuwait's mediation, Sheikh Mohammad said the mediation derives its credibility from the impartiality of the mediator, adding: "our role as mediator requires us to be neutral in this crisis." He indicated that Kuwait's role is very important and vital and it will continue its efforts to reach a solution.

With regard to the Yemen crisis, the Kuwaiti minister said all GCC delegations agreed in the closed session on the importance of maintaining stability and unity of Yemen, adding that they all support efforts of political solution to this crisis.

During the meeting, the minister also addressed foreign challenges, including Iran's interventions in the region, calling on Iran to abide by international law and good-neighborliness with its Gulf region.

"We are keen to avoid any issue that could create a disagreement between GCC states, but the issue of foreign interventions is not a controversial issue," he concluded.



French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia to Asharq Al-Awsat: Military Option Ineffective in Israel-Iran Conflict 

French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Patrick Maisonnave. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Patrick Maisonnave. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia to Asharq Al-Awsat: Military Option Ineffective in Israel-Iran Conflict 

French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Patrick Maisonnave. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Patrick Maisonnave. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Patrick Maisonnave said Paris believes that military intervention will not resolve the “problem” over Iran’s nuclear program.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said such a solution was “ineffective” because it cannot completely eliminate Iran’s nuclear knowledge or ensure the complete destruction of all of its nuclear facilities.

Moreover, he warned against attempts to change the Iranian regime from the outside, saying it may have dire consequences, such as the collapse of the state, civil war, instability, regional conflicts, migration crises and raise terrorism threat levels.

This instability may also impact the security of the Gulf region and extend to Europe as well, he warned.

Damage to Iran’s nuclear sites may lead to dangerous radiation in the region that may spread to other regions, including Gulf waters, he went on to say.

Furthermore, military intervention will pose major dangers to regional stability, the security of France’s partners and allies in the region, and the Hormuz Strait. It may lead to attacks on American military bases and energy infrastructure, warned Maisonnave.

A diplomatic solution is the best way forward, he stressed, explaining that it will lead to a viable and permanent solution that enjoys international backing. This solution must tackle technical issues, such as enrichment levels. It also averts the grave consequences of military escalation.

A diplomatic solution must ensure that International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors are allowed to tour nuclear facilities at any time and without prior notice, he added.

This is the path that France chose in the past and that it believes is the best way to reach a permanent and peaceful solution, he stressed.

At the same time, the ambassador acknowledged that the Iranian nuclear program was a dangerous threat to French and European security interests, as well as to countries of the Gulf given its potential to destabilize the region and the “security of our allies”.

This concern deepened after IAEA inspectors were for years unable to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program, he remarked.

France and European countries are very concerned that the program was not designed with purely civilian purposes, Maisonnave said.