UAE, France Discuss Strategic Partnership

UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation holding talks with  French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs in Abu Dhabi - WAM
UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation holding talks with French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs in Abu Dhabi - WAM
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UAE, France Discuss Strategic Partnership

UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation holding talks with  French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs in Abu Dhabi - WAM
UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation holding talks with French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs in Abu Dhabi - WAM

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, met with Catherine Colonna, French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs in Abu Dhabi.

The two sides discussed bilateral ties and opportunities for widening their cooperation, under the framework of the strategic partnership between the UAE and France.

They also discussed the latest developments in the region, as well as relevant regional and international events, and stressed their keenness to continue consultations and coordination on issues of mutual concern.

The two ministers also discussed their countries' cooperation in the energy sector, especially in light of the strategic partnership agreement in the field of energy signed by the two countries in July 2022.

Sheikh Abdullah welcomed the visit of Colonna and highlighted the deep-rooted relations between the UAE and France, as well as the keenness of the two countries to enhance their strategic partnership and broaden the scope of their cooperation, state news agency WAM reported.

Sheikh Abdullah held a luncheon in honor of Colonna and her delegation.

The meeting was attended by Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation.



Kuwait Jails 13 Citizens, Fines them $87 Mn for Hezbollah Funding

A general view of the Kuwait Palace of Justice in Kuwait City, June 16, 2013. (Reuters)
A general view of the Kuwait Palace of Justice in Kuwait City, June 16, 2013. (Reuters)
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Kuwait Jails 13 Citizens, Fines them $87 Mn for Hezbollah Funding

A general view of the Kuwait Palace of Justice in Kuwait City, June 16, 2013. (Reuters)
A general view of the Kuwait Palace of Justice in Kuwait City, June 16, 2013. (Reuters)

Kuwait’s Court of Cassation on Monday sentenced 13 citizens to three years in prison for raising funds through a charity to support Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

The court also fined them 27 million Kuwaiti dinars ($87 million), overturning a previous acquittal by a lower court.

The court that issued the sentencing was presided over by Judge Abdullah Jassim Al-Abdullah.

Initially, the Criminal Court had acquitted the defendants, citing the absence of legislation explicitly criminalizing unlicensed fundraising for public purposes since the establishment of Kuwait's Social Affairs Department on December 14, 1954.

The court said this legal gap limited its authority under Article 132 of the Code of Criminal Procedures and Trials. However, the decision was reversed by the higher court.

The defendants had been interrogated in November 2021 over alleged financial support to organizations linked to Hezbollah.

At the time, the Public Prosecution ordered their detention, and security authorities conducted extensive investigations into financial transfers suspected of funding such groups in Lebanon.

The case dates back to November 2021. The charges included significant financial transfers made over several years to foreign entities, including in Lebanon, prompting authorities to scrutinize transaction records.

The defendants denied the charges, claiming they had worked with a charity committee for 30 years, primarily sponsoring orphans in Lebanon and other countries.

In March 2024, the Court of Cassation classified Hezbollah as a banned terrorist group, describing it as an armed organization working to undermine Kuwait’s system and spread Iran’s revolutionary ideology.

The ruling officially confirmed Hezbollah’s designation as a terrorist entity under Kuwaiti law.