Kuwaiti Emir Orders Opening of Consulate in Najaf

A photo provided by the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA on July 28, 2019 shows Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak al-Sabah (R) meeting with Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al-Halbousi (L) in Kuwait City. STRINGER / KUNA / AFP
A photo provided by the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA on July 28, 2019 shows Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak al-Sabah (R) meeting with Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al-Halbousi (L) in Kuwait City. STRINGER / KUNA / AFP
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Kuwaiti Emir Orders Opening of Consulate in Najaf

A photo provided by the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA on July 28, 2019 shows Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak al-Sabah (R) meeting with Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al-Halbousi (L) in Kuwait City. STRINGER / KUNA / AFP
A photo provided by the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA on July 28, 2019 shows Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak al-Sabah (R) meeting with Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al-Halbousi (L) in Kuwait City. STRINGER / KUNA / AFP

In a sign of growing relations between Kuwait and Iraq, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah ordered on Sunday the opening of a consulate in the province of Najaf.

In a statement, Governor of Najaf Louay al-Yasiri said the Emir directed to speed up the procedures for opening the consulate.

“We had the privilege of meeting this morning with the Emir of Kuwait who directed to open a consulate in the Najaf province quickly, as well as his contribution to the construction of specialized and sophisticated medical centers to serve visitors ... between the provinces of Najaf and Karbala,” the governor said.

This came after the Emir received Iraqi Speaker Mohammed Al-Halbousi and his accompanying delegation at the Bayan Palace.

Discussions focused on ways to invest the funds allocated for the reconstruction of Iraq at the Kuwait International Donors Conference held in February 2018.

"We came to the State of Kuwait with the executive officials in the government to discuss the reconstruction projects of Iraq from the grants that were allocated at the Kuwait International Conference, especially in the field of health and education in all governorates, calling for forming joint committees to study and start implementation,” Halbousi said in a statement released by his office.

The Iraqi Speaker arrived in Kuwait on Saturday on a three-day visit within the framework of mutual efforts to strengthen and expand economic and commercial relations between the two countries.

On Sunday, Halbousi also held talks with Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber al-Mubarak al-Sabah.

The Speaker expressed Iraq's keenness to stabilize the region, reduce tension and avoid conflict.

Kuwait’s Emir made a landmark visit to Baghdad on June 19 for consultations to boost relations and economic cooperation between the two countries.



Saudi Chief of Staff Chairs Saudi-Turkish Military Committee Meeting

A view of the Saudi capital Riyadh. (SPA)
A view of the Saudi capital Riyadh. (SPA)
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Saudi Chief of Staff Chairs Saudi-Turkish Military Committee Meeting

A view of the Saudi capital Riyadh. (SPA)
A view of the Saudi capital Riyadh. (SPA)

The Saudi-Turkish Joint Military Committee held its sixth meeting in the Turkish capital, Ankara, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Saturday.

The meeting was chaired by Saudi Chief of General Staff Lieutenant-General Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili and Turkish Chief of General Staff General Metin Gürak.

The officials discussed ways to boost cooperation and coordination between their countries in the defense and military sectors, as well as several other issues of common concern.

The meeting was attended by several high-ranking officers from the Saudi and Turkish armed forces.

Al-Ruwaili also held a meeting with Turkish Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler for talks on bilateral relations and areas of defense cooperation.