Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah reviewed on Wednesday with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian the bilateral relations between the two countries and the means to promote them.
“The Kuwaiti PM received on Wednesday visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and they discussed the latest regional and international relations,” the Kuwaiti official news agency, KUNA, said.
The meeting was attended by Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
Iran's top diplomat arrived in Kuwait Wednesday, the third leg of a Gulf tour that saw him hold “constructive” talks with his Omani counterpart in Muscat earlier in the day.
Amir-Abdollahian also held discussions in Doha on its nuclear program with Qatari and European Union officials.
Before he left Muscat on Wednesday, Amir-Abdollahian called the meeting with his Omani counterpart as “constructive” and praised the effective cooperation between the two sides, the official Oman News Agency, ONA, said.
The Omani minister said they discussed “continued consultations and cooperation” on issues of bilateral concern.
“There is great consensus in the visions of the two states on a series of issues... that will contribute to stability, security and peace,” he said, quoted by ONA.
Amir-Abdollahian’s visit to Oman came three weeks after Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran.
“The Ministers discussed relations between the two friendly countries and followed up on the results of the visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to Tehran in May,” the Omani Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
It added that the two ministers reviewed ways to activate and enhance cooperation in culture, trade, economic and investment affairs, energy projects, and transportation with a view to supporting economic diversification and serving the interests of the two countries and their peoples.
For his part, Amir-Abdollahian said he discussed different bilateral issues with the Omani FM including the implementation of agreements signed during the recent visit of the Omani monarch to Tehran.
He then thanked the constructive efforts and initiatives of Oman and its sultan to facilitate and resolve regional and international matters.
The remarkable progress in Oman-Iran relations was emphasized during the talks, particularly in areas of economic and trade cooperation, transportation, energy, science and tourism.
Amir-Abdollahian then highlighted the United Nations Secretary General’s initiative to convene a meeting of foreign ministers from eight Gulf countries in New York, an initiative strongly supported by Oman and Qatar.
The two ministers actively explored opportunities to enhance joint cooperation in cultural, trade, economic and investment fields. They reaffirmed full support for all endeavors that promote global peace and stability.
However, both ministers did not address Oman's mediation efforts between Tehran and Washington to reach a new deal that could see Iran free US prisoners in return for the release of billions of dollars worth of Iranian assets.
On Wednesday morning, the Iranian FM also met Sultan bin Mohammed al Numani, minister of Oman’s royal office, for talks on ties between their countries and “several areas of cooperation,” ONA said.
The Iranian government says it attaches importance to strengthening diplomatic and trade relations with neighboring countries. This came as the Iranian economy is suffering under the repercussions of the US sanctions imposed by the administration of former US President Donald Trump, following his withdrawal from the nuclear deal.
“The resolution of challenges with the collective participation of countries in the region is the best way to achieve the progress of nations and ensure security in the Persian Gulf,” Amir-Abdollahian tweeted before he left Kuwait.
Last week, European and Iranian officials said Muscat is a mediator in indirect talks between Iran and its sworn enemy the United States over its suspect nuclear program and a possible prisoner swap.
Amir-Abdollahian discussed developments in the nuclear agreement with his Qatari counterpart, according to the official Qatar News Agency.
