Kuwait Out-reaches to South America for Bettering Ties

A high profile delegation headed by the Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Nasser Al Mohammed will begin its tour of South America on Wednesday. The three-week trip to nine countries including Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico will attempt to explore investment opportunities in these countries, and also to attract investments to Kuwait from the region.

As mentioned by the Kuwaiti premier before the trip that the country had not undertaken a high-level international trip like this in recent past is primarily aimed at leveraging the KD 37bn ($125bn) which the government has set aside for the five-year development plan of Kuwait. Furthermore, Kuwait desires to showcase the region and the world as well its "resilience" to the Iraqi invasion and occupation in 1990.

In an interview with The Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Ali Al Sammak, who serves as the Kuwait's Ambassador to Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Canada and Ambassador Designate to Mexico said the Premier was "very keen" on opening embassies in more South American countries. According to a KUNA report, Kuwait is looking to open new embassies in Cuba, Mexico and Chile to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties with most nations in South America.

Al Sammak further added that though Kuwaiti relations with South America was good yet in the fields of education, economy, healthcare, investment, and industry required a lot of effort to exact right results. The high level Kuwaiti team includes the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Commerce and Industry as well as officials from the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI).

The out-stretched tour is expected to see the signing of a series of co-operation agreements covering trade partnerships and other areas of interests between Kuwait and the touring nations.

By Jose Roy