HH Amir of Kuwait, President of Syria convene for high-level talks

Arab Times

2 days ago

KUWAIT CITY, June 1: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and President of Syria Ahmad Al-Sharaa, on Sunday, presided over the official round of talks between the two countries. Present at the talks were His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and senior officials of both countries.
Minister of the Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al- Mubarak Al-Sabah said in a statement that the session focused on bolstering bilateral relations in all possible domains to achieve the mutual interests of Kuwait and Syria. The talks also focused on coordinating efforts between the two countries regionally and internationally, especially those concerning maintaining the stability and unity of Syria, he revealed.
Issues of common concern as well as regional and global developments were discussed, the minister added. Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and the accompanying delegation arrived in Kuwait earlier Sunday, on a visit where he would be holding an official round of talks with His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
The Syrian President and his delegation were received by the head of the honorary delegation Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya. The Syrian delegation includes Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani and senior state officials. Following the talks, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah hosted a luncheon in honor of visiting Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and the accompanying delegation at Bayan Palace.
Visiting Syrian President Ahmad Al- Sharaa also held a meeting with First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al- Sabah at Bayan Palace on Sunday. Minister of Foreign Affairs and head of the honorary delegation Abdullah Al-Yahya attended the meeting. The visit by Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa to the State of Kuwait holds significance to people in both countries as they hope that it will add to the historic ties, ever developing towards constructive cooperation.
The Syrian President was expected to meet with His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, holding official talks reflecting the strength of ties and the Kuwaiti people's keenness on supporting the unity and sovereignty of Syria. Kuwaiti-Syrian diplomatic ties date back to October 24, 1963 when Syria opened its first embassy in Kuwait, a step followed shortly by Kuwait opening its embassy in Damascus.
The relations witnessed a period of suspension between 2012 and 2024 due to the security happenings in Syria, with Kuwait announcing the closure of its embassy in Damascus on March 15, 2012 due to the deteriorating security situation in the fellow Arab country, urging citizens to return to Kuwait. On December 30, 2024, ties saw a new development when Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya visited the Syrian capital as chair of the GCC ministerial council in a gesture reflecting support to the security and stability of the region and Syria.
Minister Al-Yahya met with the new Syrian administration led by President Ahmad Al-Sharaa to express support to Syria and call for other countries not to interfere in internal Syrian matters. In the same day Minister Al-Yahya visited, the first Kuwaiti air bridge to deliver relief aid to the Syrian people was launched upon the directives of the Kuwaiti leadership. The Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS), which was tasked with overseeing the mission, said that the aim was to cover the needs of the Syrian people during this critical transitional period.
In the past decades, senior Kuwaiti and Syrian officials exchanged visits to boost ties in all possible domains. The two countries have signed numerous accords, agreements, and MoUs, while the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) has been providing loans and grants to Syria since 1969.
Syria had contributed to the liberation of Kuwait in 1991, becoming part of the international coalition to rid Kuwait of the Iraqi invasion of August 2, 1990. In regards to the Syrian crisis, the State of Kuwait had a clear stance since the conflict began in 2011, calling on the UNSC to end war crimes committed in Syria and also allowing the entry of humanitarian aid to help civilians and the innocent.
Kuwait had condemned what has occurred against the Syrian people from violations and aggression, saying that aid should be delivered to those affected by the violence and the international community must take a stance to end the destruction of lives and infrastructure in Syria. The State of Kuwait had organized three humanitarian donors conferences for Syria in 2013, 2014, and 2015 to help the Syrian people overcome their plight, with the events able to cover 90 percent of the needed humanitarian pledges. In February 2016, Kuwait co-chaired with the UK the fourth humanitarian conference for Syria held in Britain, which focused on the situation within the war-torn country and ways to deliver much-needed aid to those most affected.
Kuwait also took part in the conference held in Brussels by the EU in March of 2025 in the presence of Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani and a wide range of regional and international participants. Kuwait -- through the KFAED, KRCS, and charities -- had assisted Syrians displaced in Syria and seeking refuge abroad, especially in Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkiye.
In the last five months, Kuwait issued several statements through its Foreign Ministry calling for unity and stability in Syria, calling on the world to take part in aiding Syria through this critical juncture. In one instance of solidarity, Kuwait expressed utter condemnation of the Israeli occupation aggression in December 2024 on areas in the Syrian border, saying it was a violation of international laws and UNSC resolutions.
A similar condemnation was also reflected in May in regards to Israeli occupation airstrikes against Syrian forces and the Presidential Palace in Damascus. Kuwait welcomed on May 13 the US President Donald Trump's announcement on lifting sanctions on Syria and also welcomed a similar decision by the EU in May 21, which lifted economic sanctions, paving the way for a prosperous and bright future for Syria. (KUNA)