Kuwait and Italy... Economic and defense cooperation
Kuwait and Italy sign memorandums of understanding to enhance economic and defense cooperation
Translated by Qiyas from النهار — Original source
His Highness Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad received, in the presence of His Highness Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled and His Highness Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah, Prime Minister, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her accompanying delegation, on the occasion of her official visit to the country on Thursday. During the meeting, the strong bilateral relations between Kuwait and Italy, characterized by continuous development across various fields, were reviewed, alongside discussions on ways to enhance, develop, and expand the scope of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, particularly in economic and defense sectors, in a manner that serves their shared interests. The parties also discussed a number of issues and topics of mutual interest, as well as the latest developments and updates in the regional and international arenas.
In the presence of His Highness Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Kuwait and Italy signed two memoranda of understanding and a letter of intent in the fields of promoting direct investment, defense, and military-industrial cooperation. The first memorandum of understanding concerned cooperation in promoting direct investment between the Direct Investment Promotion Authority and the Italian Trade Agency, while the letter of intent between the Ministry of Defense and Leonardo aimed at developing defense capabilities and industrial cooperation. The second memorandum of understanding focused on military cooperation in the fields of advice and training between the National Guard and the Italian Carabinieri Gendarmerie, under the Italian Ministry of Defense.
For her part, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni confirmed that her visit to Kuwait saw the agreement on an action plan to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries from 2027 to 2030, thereby consolidating the strategic partnership and opening broader horizons for cooperation in investment, energy, infrastructure, and defense. Meloni stated in a post on the X platform that she met with His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad, in the presence of His Highness Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled and His Highness Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah, to discuss ways to deepen cooperation between the two countries and develop bilateral relations in sectors of shared priority. She added that both sides adopted an action plan during the meeting that outlines strategic priorities and charts the course for developing Kuwaiti-Italian cooperation over the next four years, thereby strengthening the partnership between the two countries and supporting shared interests. Meloni clarified that the talks also addressed key regional issues, with a focus on the security of sea lanes, as well as enhancing relations between the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, within the framework of a shared interest in strengthening regional stability and expanding areas of coordination and cooperation.
On the economic front, Meloni noted Kuwait’s readiness to extend the application of the price cap on gasoline and diesel implemented by Kuwait’s Q8 company in the Italian market, in response to the Italian government’s call for energy companies to contribute to containing rising fuel costs and protecting households and businesses from the repercussions of price increases. Q8 had previously announced the implementation of a fuel price cap at its stations in Italy starting October 1 for one month, as part of energy companies’ initiatives to alleviate the burden of rising fuel costs on consumers.
