LONDON, July 21, (KUNA): Kuwait’s Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah held talks with British Foreign Secretary William Hague here Monday over security of the Arabian Gulf, situation in Iraq following US forces’ withdrawal, Libya and the Palestinian issue.
The talks were “very constructive” and dealt with urgent issues that needed discussion and consultations between Kuwait and Britian, Sheikh Dr Mohammad told KUNA and Kuwait TV after the meeting.
He said they have particularly discussed security of the Arabian Gulf region, the situation in Iraq after the American forces’ withdrawal by end of this year, and need of having continuous consultations between UN Security Council (UNSC) permanent members and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in that regard.
Sheikh Dr Mohammad called on importance of preserving security and stability of Iraq, and to have progressive political process based on respecting human rights, international laws and having good relations with neighboring countries.

“The talks also dealt with terrorist threats affecting the political process in Iraq specially by so-called ‘Hezbollah Iraq’ terrorist organization whose (militants’) hands are stained with blood of Iraqis, and had committed many crimes against the Iraqi people and is launching threats against the State of Kuwait now,” he said.
The Kuwaiti top diplomat underscored that terrorist organizations should be prevented from using the Iraqi territories as a launch pad for their acts against regional security, and the security and stability of the Gulf countries in particular.
Sheikh Dr Mohammad said he and Hague discussed outcome of the recent meeting of the international contact group on Libya. He noted that Kuwait was playing a key humanitarian role in Libya in cooperation with Benghazi-based opposition Transitional National Council (TNC).

“Talks touched upon the ‘Ramadan Fund’ which was set to alleviate humanitarian suffering of the Libyan people either inside Libya or in refugee camps in neighboring countries,” he said.
He meanwhile said they have also discussed coordination of cooperation between the six GCC countries and Britain on sidelines of the forthcoming UN General Assembly (UNGA) meetings, due next September.
He hoped Britain would support the declaration of the independent Palestinian state.
Sheikh Dr Mohammad said the resolution of the Palestinian issue should be in line with the international legitimacy. He said he agreed with Hague to meet again on the fringe of the UNGA meetings to discuss security of the Gulf and peace in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, Kuwait’s Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah took part in the annual meeting of the Board of Trustees of Oxford Center for Islamic Studies in Oxford, South East England Wednesday night and told KUNA the establishment plays a key role in bolstering dialogue among religions.
Sheikh Mohammad was named member of the board in 2009, one of a host of prominent Muslim and other figures. Sheikh Mohammad noted he was pleased to attend the meeting for the third time, as the attending politicians, intellectuals, and academicians seek to find means to bolster interaction and understanding between the Muslim world and the West.
The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies is a Recognized Independent Centre of the University of Oxford. It was established in 1985 to encourage the scholarly study of Islam and the Islamic world. The Prince of Wales, Charles, is the Patron of the Centre. The board of trustees includes Prince Turki bin Faisal bin Abdelaziz Al-Saud, as well as head of Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) Dr Ali Al-Shamlan.
As it defines its missions, “The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies provides a meeting point between the Islamic and Western worlds of learning. Through good scholarship it promotes a more informed understanding of Islam - its culture and civilization.”