Kuwait participates in New York session on strengthening Gulf-European partnerships

Kuwait, represented by Ambassador Sadiq Ma'rifi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for International Organizations Affairs, participated in a panel discussion on strengthening Gulf-European partnerships for regional security and prosperity.

The session was organized by the Gulf Europe Forum of the Atlantic Council in cooperation with Antenna Group, on the sidelines of the High-Level Week of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The discussion addressed ways to enhance cooperation between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and European countries in strategic and economic fields, in light of current regional developments and their implications for security, stability, and the economy in both the Gulf and European regions. It also emphasized the importance of developing joint initiatives and strengthening long-term partnerships between the Gulf and European sides in the fields of economy, energy, infrastructure, and security, thereby supporting shared interests and contributing to enhanced regional security and prosperity.

Earlier, Ambassador Sadiq Ma'rifi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for International Organizations Affairs, held talks with Alexander Zuev, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Counter-Terrorism (Acting), on the scope of cooperation between the State of Kuwait and the United Nations in the field of counter-terrorism and ways to enhance it. This took place during a meeting between the two sides on the sidelines of the High-Level Week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, where they exchanged views on several issues of mutual interest.

Both sides affirmed the importance of continuing coordination and cooperation within the framework of the United Nations and supporting international efforts aimed at combating terrorism and extremism, and enhancing international security and stability. Kuwait, represented by Ambassador Sadiq Ma'rifi, also participated in a ministerial meeting titled "Enhancing Cooperation to Achieve Security and Stability in the Maritime Domain."

The meeting focused on strengthening international cooperation to ensure the security and stability of vital maritime chokepoints, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Red Sea, and the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation, the continuity of international trade, energy supplies, and global supply chains. It also addressed the protection of critical maritime infrastructure, including undersea cables and pipelines, as well as enhancing international cooperation and information exchange in the field of maritime security within the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The meeting was organized by a joint invitation from Canada, Estonia, Japan, the Netherlands, the Philippines, and the European Union, with the participation of several foreign ministers, senior officials, and representatives of states and international organizations.

In another development, Ambassador Sadiq Ma'rifi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for International Organizations Affairs, affirmed the importance of continuing efforts to reform the international financial and economic system to make it more just, fair, and responsive to the needs of developing countries, thereby contributing to enhancing trade and investment opportunities, eradicating poverty, and achieving sustainable development.

This was stated in the address of the State of Kuwait, delivered by Ambassador Ma'rifi during the High-Level Meeting to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, held at the United Nations headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the High-Level Week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.