China Tightens Ties to Kuwait with Deal to Expand Solar Power

The signing ceremony was held at the headquarters of the National Energy Administration (KUNA) 
The signing ceremony was held at the headquarters of the National Energy Administration (KUNA) 
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China Tightens Ties to Kuwait with Deal to Expand Solar Power

The signing ceremony was held at the headquarters of the National Energy Administration (KUNA) 
The signing ceremony was held at the headquarters of the National Energy Administration (KUNA) 

China will help increase capacity at two solar projects in Kuwait, further boosting ties after the two countries agreed to develop a long-delayed strategic port.

The new “framework agreement,” reached after six months of negotiations, will see the expansion of the Al-Shagaya and Al-Abdiliya solar plants, Kuwait’s state-run KUNA news agency reported Monday.

The governments of both countries signed on Monday the framework agreement, which contains technical details on the joint cooperation on renewable energy.

The agreement came in line with the Kuwaiti leadership's directives to expand the implementation of grand projects signed with China.

Under the agreement, the Chinese side will build the renewable projects in two regions in Kuwait at a joint production capacity of 3,500 megawatts with a possible boost to 5,000 megawatts.

Last month, Kuwait and China signed an agreement to execute the Mubarak Al-Kabeer port.

In Beijing on Monday, the new “framework agreement” was signed by Kuwait's Undersecretary at the Ministry of Electricity and Water and renewable energy Dr Adel Al-Zamel and Ren Jingdong, Deputy Director of the Chinese National Energy Administration.

The signing ceremony was held at the headquarters of the National Energy Administration and it was attended by Kuwait Assistant Foreign Minister for Asia Affairs Ambassador Sameeh Johar Hayat who is also rapporteur of the high Kuwait-China Committee for agreements and MoUs execution. Also present were Kuwait Ambassador to China Jassem Al-Najem and other Kuwaiti and Chinese officials.

In comments to KUNA, Ambassador Hayat affirmed that the framework agreement came in line with the Kuwaiti leadership's directive concerning major joint projects. He said more details on grand projects signed with China would come into light soon including the agreement signed back in February to execute the Mubarak Al-Kabeer port.

He said that Chinese-Kuwaiti ties were witnessing huge leaps on several domains, reflecting the strong and robust relations linking the two countries.

For his part, Al-Zamel spoke about the framework agreement, revealing that it came after six months of negotiations. It resulted in setting a plan, supervised by the Chinese side, for the third and fourth zones of Al-Shagaya and Al-Abdiliya renewable projects as well at a joint production capacity of 3,500 megawatts with a possible boost to 5,000 megawatts.

Kuwait and China will celebrate on March 22, the 54th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations, which began back in 1971.

 

 



Dollar Rises ahead of Fed; Turkish Lira Drop Reins in G10 Currencies

Banknotes of Japanese yen are seen in this illustration picture taken September 22, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo
Banknotes of Japanese yen are seen in this illustration picture taken September 22, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo
TT
20

Dollar Rises ahead of Fed; Turkish Lira Drop Reins in G10 Currencies

Banknotes of Japanese yen are seen in this illustration picture taken September 22, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo
Banknotes of Japanese yen are seen in this illustration picture taken September 22, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo

The dollar rallied on Wednesday ahead of the Federal Reserve's decision on interest rates, but retreated from the day's highs after markets stabilized from an early shock caused by the detention

of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's main rival.

Traders are also digesting the Bank of Japan's earlier decision to hold interest rates steady, while the Fed's policy decision later will be crucial for investors eager to know what the central bank makes of Trump's policies and their impact on the US economy, and how that affects the rate outlook.

Fed policymakers are widely expected to keep rates on hold, and will also release new economic projections at the conclusion of the meeting later in the day, Reuters reported.

Feeding into an earlier rally in the dollar was news out of Turkey which saw the lira briefly tumble by the most in a day on record, rippling through major currencies as investors shifted into safe-haven assets.

By 1226 GMT, the euro was down 0.3% versus the dollar to $1.091, having fallen as much as 0.6% earlier. Even so, it remains near a five-month high of $1.0955 scaled in the previous session.

"The news from Turkey is having an impact on G10 currency markets and risk appetite in general," said Jane Foley, head of FX strategy at Rabobank.

"But I would think some of the initial impact of what's happened will begin to filter out from some of the euro trade once the market has become a bit more accustomed to it."

The yen weakened against the dollar, which rose 0.3% to 149.805 in volatile trade as investors mulled the BOJ decision to hold rates steady and comments from Governor Kazuo Ueda .

The widely expected BOJ decision underscored policymakers' preference to spend more time gauging how mounting global economic risks from higher US tariffs could affect Japan's fragile recovery.

"The decision to leave monetary policy unchanged itself is not a surprise, so its impact on exchange rates is limited. However, the earlier-than-usual timing of the announcement seems to have led financial markets to initially interpret that the BOJ (did not consider) bringing forward a rate hike," said Hirofumi Suzuki, chief FX strategist at SMBC.

Adding to nervousness among investors, Israeli airstrikes pounded Gaza overnight, while US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to reach an agreement on a Ukraine ceasefire.

The more risk-sensitive currencies edged lower, with sterling down 0.2% at $1.29795, not far from the previous session's four-month high of $1.3010, while the Australian and New Zealand dollars fell 0.4% and 0.5%, respectively.

Against a basket of currencies, the dollar ticked up 0.2% to 103.55, coming off a five-month low of 103.19 on Tuesday.

The dollar has fallen nearly 4% for the month, pressured by Trump's erratic approach to tariffs and as fears mount of a recession in the world's largest economy.

Traders are currently pricing in nearly 60 basis points of Fed rate cuts by the year end.

"The March FOMC meeting will likely be all about policy uncertainty. The Fed will almost certainly stay on hold, emphasising patience over panic," said analysts at Bank of America Securities.

"The (Summary of Economic Projections) forecasts and distribution of risks are both likely to reflect stagflation: weaker growth and higher inflation."