OTTAWA, Sept 23, (Agencies): Kuwait’s prime minister, Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, will visit Canada for talks with Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Sept 25-26, Harper’s office announced Friday.
This will be the first visit to Canada by a prime minister of Kuwait.
“Kuwait is a valued partner for Canada in the Middle East,” Harper said in a statement.
“I look forward to welcoming his highness to Canada and strengthening bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of trade and investment.”
The two leaders will also discuss challenges currently facing the Middle-East and North Africa, including security in the region.
Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah and his Bosnian counterpart Sven Alkalaj discussed bilateral relations and international issues on the Security Council agenda, Bosnia and Herzegovina being a non permanent member.
Alkalaj told KUNA that the meeting “was a continuation of the discussions I had with Sheikh Mohammad during my recent visit to Kuwait, how to improve and enlarge relations between Kuwait and Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

“We also discussed some international issues — Palestine — how to move forward and how to be very constructive in creating peace in the Middle East,” he added.
Asked about Bosnia’s position regarding Palestine’s bid for full UN membership, Alkalaj said “Bosnia is working with all permanent and other countries in the Security Council and we are trying to find the best solution for moving ahead with the peace process.”
On whether Bosnia will vote in favour of a resolution should one be put to a vote, he said “the decision has not been made. We follow (the issue) closely and there is a specific way of decision-making in Bosnia. So we are collecting all the data so our President can make a final decision.”
Sheikh Mohammed, who is part of the Kuwaiti delegation headed by HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah representing HH the Amir to the activities of the General Assembly’s 66th session, also discussed earlier in the day bilateral relations and ways to expand them with his Hungarian counterpart Janos Martonyi.
Sheikh Nasser also met ith the Amir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifah Al-Thani at the Qatari mission Headquarters in New York.
The top officials touched on issues listed on the agenda of the 66th United Nations General Assembly, and other issues of mutual interest.
His Highness the premier also met with the Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, at the latter’s residence in New York.

Both meetings were attended by members of the Kuwaiti delegation accompanying the premier.
An international parliamentary expert on Friday applauded democracy in Kuwait and the atmosphere of openness and freedom enjoyed by its people under the wise leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
“The Kuwaiti National Assembly is one of the most effective and active Arab parliaments,” Mahmoud Mohamed Ali Sabra, United Nations and World Bank parliarmentay affairs consultant told KUNA.
He added that the Kuwaiti National Assembly was a pioneering body in democratic practice and work in the development of the Kuwaiti society.
Sabrah also hailed Kuwait’s support of Arab causes and national interests.
He had participated in the first annual meeting of the Association of Secretaries General of Arab Parliaments, hosted by the Moroccan capital of Rabat between of Sept 21-22.
He welcomed the Association of Secretaries General of Arab Parliaments decision to hold the Third Arab Conference on Legislative Drafting in December in Kuwait, expressing confidence that the conference would prove successful.