Turkish president meets Kuwaiti foreign minister

ANKARA

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday met Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmed Nasser al-Sabah.

The meeting at the presidential complex was closed to the press.

In a separate meeting, Turkey’s Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop also met al-Sabah and a delegation accompanying him.

Sentop said the challenging pandemic times should be resolved by increased cooperation and solidarity among states, noting that Turkey sent medical supplies to 156 countries.

The Turkish official stressed the need for the two states to identify new opportunities across various sectors, including trade, industry, health, and tourism.

He also praised Kuwait's role in resolving the Gulf blockade on Qatar.

"We also give importance to Kuwait's role as a mediator in the region and its consistent approach to resolving issues through dialogue. In this regard, we appreciate your efforts and successful results in ending the unfair blockade imposed by the Arab quartet against Qatar and restoring dialogue.

"We hope that this development will help to resolve the conflict in the Gulf region in a comprehensive manner. We will continue to support Kuwait's sincere efforts in this direction," Sentop said.

Stating that Turkey does not see the security and stability of the Gulf region as separate from its own security and stability, Sentop said: "The strong dialogue developed between all fraternal countries in the Gulf and the Middle East is the only solution in terms of peace and stability. As Turkey, we are ready for dialogue with all countries in the region without preconditions.”

He praised the Kuwaiti foreign minister for his principled stance on Palestine.

“For a two-state solution on the basis of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, we are ready to advance our joint efforts," Sentop said.

The Kuwaiti foreign minister stressed the need to further strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.

“One of the most important results of the negotiations that we have held today will be the introduction of a strategic plan and the change every five years, especially in terms of further raising relations in the field of trade and economy. In our negotiations, it was envisaged that this joint committee would meet every two years. However, now meeting every year would support the process," said al-Sabah.

He also invited the Turkish parliament speaker to Kuwait.

*Writing by Merve Berker