UNITED NATIONS, Sept 20, (KUNA): Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon has commended, during a meeting with the representative of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the support of the State of Kuwait for the organization’s activities, particularly in the maintenance of international peace and security.
Speaking to KUNA and Kuwait Television following the meeting late last night, Kuwait’s permanent representative to the UN Ambassador Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi said that the Secretary-General thanked HH the Prime Minister for his participation in the deliberations of the 65th UN General Assembly which shows Kuwait’s keenness to support the United Nations activities in various fields, especially in the maintenance of international peace and security.
He also commended in particular Kuwait’s hosting of the Office of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) and the Office of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), wishing Kuwait would continue its support of the activities of the United Nations.
Ban also praised during the meeting the contribution of the State of Kuwait and its voluntary donation of relief supplies for Pakistan and noted that the State of Kuwait has always been “proactive” in providing humanitarian assistance to countries exposed to natural disasters.
Al-Otaibi said that the meeting touched as well on a number of issues that affect the security and stability in the region, including Iraq and the situation in the Middle East and Lebanon.
For Iraq, the Secretary-General asserted that the United Nations will continue to urge Iraq to complete the implementation of relevant Security Council Resolutions and assures its full commitment to Security Council resolution 833.
The Kuwaiti diplomat said that Ban also praised the role of Kuwait for settling all contributions with respect to the maintenance of border signs between the two countries, wishing that Iraq, after the formation of a new government, to speed up the implementation of the remainder of those obligations, to close all these files.
The Prime Minister for his side affirmed that the State of Kuwait was “committed to the implementation of Security Council resolutions”, adding “We agreed with the Secretary-General on the importance of completing the implementation of these resolutions and the termination of all outstanding issues,”, according to the Kuwaiti diplomat.
Invitation
The Prime Minister at the end of the meeting extended an invitation to the Secretary General to visit Kuwait and participate in the country’s national occasions next year.
Meanwhile, Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah and member of the Kuwaiti delegation attending the 65th UN General Assembly meeting, presided over an annual Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting in New York late Sunday.
The annual GCC ministerial meeting, which is annually held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting, focused on several issues that concern the Gulf region, chiefly security and stability.
Emerging from the meeting, the Kuwaiti minister, chairman of the current session of the GCC ministerial council, told Arab reporters that the ministers had discussed issues put on the agenda of the UN conference, mainly those topics that have something to do with Arab, especially Gulf, security and stability.
He reiterated Arab support for the Palestinian issue, just and comprehensive Middle East peace based on Israel’s withdrawal from all the occupied Arab territories, Syria’s Golan Heights and Lebanon’s territories.
In New York the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah last night received at the Permanent Mission of Kuwait to the United Nations Chairman of the Union of Kuwaiti Students — the branch of the United States of America and a number of students.
HH reassured during the meeting on the conditions of students and their activities within the framework of their continued graduate studies in various American universities and colleges. Sheikh Nasser urged the students to continue such efforts in order to achieve their ambitions and desires. The meeting was attended by members of the official delegation accompanying HH the premier.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Dr Mohammad met here Sunday with Terje Roed-Larsen, UN’s special envoy for UN Resolution 1559, and discussed a host of issues related to the resolution.
Speaking to KUNA and Kuwait TV following the meeting, Roed-Larsen said they have discussed matters related to UN Resolution 1559.
“I just met with Foreign Minister of Kuwait my very good friend Sheikh Mohammad. We have discussed all matters related to ... Resolution 1559 and we also dealt with other matters in that context,” said Roed-Larsen.
Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah is a member of Kuwait delegation to the 65th session of the UN General Assembly.
“I am very happy to say that I think we see eye-to-eye on all issues which I will report back tonight to the (UN) Secretary General,” said Roed-Larsen.
UN Resolution 1559 was adopted in September 2004 on the situation in Lebanon. It called on Lebanon to establish its sovereignty over all of its territory and urged foreign forces to withdraw from Lebanon. It also called on all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias to disband and declared support for free and fair elections.