Lebanese President Michel Aoun arrived in Kuwait on Tuesday on a two-day official visit upon an invitation by Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al-Jaber Al Sabah.
Talks during the visit will touch on regional and international developments and means to strengthen Lebanese-Kuwaiti relations and develop cooperation in all fields.
Aoun is scheduled to hold talks with the Kuwait Emir, as well as with Kuwaiti Speaker Marzouq al-Ghanim, Prime Minister Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al Sabah, and officials from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.
Aoun will also meet with the Lebanese Diaspora in Kuwait.
During an interview with Kuwait’s national news agency (KUNA) on the eve of the visit, Aoun underlined Lebanon’s keenness to establish strong relations based openness and cooperation.
“The message I carry with me to Kuwait is not different from the one I conveyed throughout the visits I had made since my election as president of the republic,” he said, stressing that his message embraced a “genuine Lebanese wish to be open and to cooperate with everybody, within the standards that preserve each country's rights, independence, and sovereignty.”
“My message is based on mutual love and respect, and reflects the particularities of Lebanon… What I carry with me is the image of the strong Lebanon and the determination of the Lebanese that stood in the face of attempts targeting the country’s stability, security, and unity,” the Lebanese president said.
Aoun went on say: “Lebanon and Kuwait are invited to work to prevent the exploitation of any inter-Arab dispute to end the Palestinian conflict.”
As for the assurances provided by Lebanon for the return of Kuwaiti and Gulf tourists to Lebanon, the president said: “The security of tourists is that of Lebanon. There is no need for concern, because the security situation is maintained, and our Arab brothers will find that Lebanon’s nature and lifestyle are still the same.”
“Stability is a red line that cannot be crossed, thanks to the determination of the Lebanese people, army and security forces,” he added.
