KUWAIT CITY, Oct 1: “The internal situation is not perfect, so the remedy must be based on good intentions, cooperation and respect for the Constitution, laws and democracy,” says HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

In an interview with the Arab Times while on board the Amiri aircraft that took him to the US and Canada to represent HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah in the United Nations General Assembly meetings and to deliver Kuwait’s speech, Sheikh Nasser shared his views on the current challenges and developments in the country, as well as the regional and international affairs.

Sheikh Nasser stressed the need for coordinated efforts among all sectors and the citizens to help the government improve its performance, realize the development objectives of the country, and grant more welfare and social security to citizens.

According to the Premier, “the government does not object to any political movement in Kuwait, provided it is under the umbrella of democracy because we live in a democratic country. We do not run away from the constitutional right of anyone. We are ready for confrontation because we have nothing to hide and our work procedures are clear to everyone.” He also pointed out that “I trust everybody and I work for whatever is beneficial to Kuwait, away from personal goals that lie in the souls of some people.” He added “implementing the Amiri orders with regards to strengthening the relationship between the government and Parliament requires the cooperation of the two authorities to adopt more projects and laws that guarantee the speedy implementation of projects; thus, making up for time and efforts wasted on arguments which have hindered progress.” He also affirmed “my doors are open for full cooperation with everyone for the benefit of Kuwait, especially to maintain national stability.”

On the demands of some workers in the government sector, Sheikh Nasser underlined the need to address the issue by treating the workers fairly and grant the privileges they deserve, without encouraging them to present absurd demands that might jeopardize the finances of the country.

Asked about his take on the regional and international affairs, the Premier admitted Kuwait and the region are facing challenges due to the recent incidents in the Arab world. He was quick to add though that this does not pose a grave threat to the security and stability of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members. He confirmed these countries have coordinated their efforts in monitoring the latest developments to prevent any untoward incident that might have a negative impact on the Arab region as a whole and the Gulf in particular. He said Kuwait is bent on reinforcing the region and deepening its security cooperation with other GCC countries, in addition to the continuous coordination to maintain stability in the Gulf. He added his recent tour to the GCC countries revealed the clamor for stronger ties to work in the interest of the region. He believes this has assured everyone that they will benefit from the fruits of development efforts in the geopolitical, security and economic sectors.

Following is the full text of the interview:

Question: What is your view on the current political movement in the country?
Answer: As a prime minister, I closely monitor whatever is happening in the country. I keep myself updated on the latest developments. I want to stress that we are in a democratic country and any political movement must be under the umbrella of democracy. It should have positive motivation and good intentions. We understand the issues, listen to the voice of the people and take into consideration the benefits of such movements.
I hope the current movement can help the government improve its performance and speed up the implementation of the development plan, which the Kuwaitis and the markets have been waiting for a long time. I wish the demands are not factional and unfair, because the government knows the issues related to the demands of some people, so it is keen on studying the needs of all sectors.
The government follows up all issues and works on removing hurdles which spoil the peace of mind of Kuwaitis. Our goal is for the people to enjoy the wealth of their country, as well as to enjoy more welfare now and in the future. This goal has prompted us to give this movement due consideration, since it is within the legal and democratic frameworks, despite the disturbing issues or transgressions by some people.

Q. Does this movement, with all its negative and positive aspects, annoy you?
A: I am responsible for the prime minister’s post. I work for all the people, not just a faction. Therefore, I am obliged to listen to all the demands and voices of the people, whether they are positive or negative. I pray to Allah to give me the ability to achieve what is good and useful for the country. I hope the people believe us when we say we are here to serve them. This is the reason why I always stress on the fact that we work in the interest of the citizens. Everyone in public service should adopt this principle.
Civil servants should base their arguments on good intentions and the actual needs of the nation. They must focus on what is beneficial for Kuwait and its people, not on their personal goals or agendas that are not in line with the aspirations of the citizens.
Personally, I am very comfortable and nothing upsets me. I listen to everybody, whether they are for or against the government. This is part of the rules of the democratic game and it does not hinder our work. It actually encourages us to work harder. I assure you that I am happy when I hear constructive criticisms, especially those related to the government’s performance. Actually, I really appreciate those who advise the government to improve its performance to better serve Kuwait.

Q: How do you react to threats to submit grilling requests against Your Highness and the government in the next legislative round?
A: We do not run away from any grilling. This is the constitutional right of MPs or blocs. We are ready for confrontation because we do not hide anything. We work in a transparent manner. If someone raises a certain issue or doubts in any aspect of our work, we immediately conduct a thorough investigation to clarify everything.
In fact, we have referred several cases to the concerned authorities, such as the parliamentary committees, the State Audit Bureau and the Public Prosecution. Results of investigations in some cases have been announced, and others are still under discussion by the aforementioned institutions. We look into the results and fix any errors promptly.
Everybody should understand that we do not exaggerate in disagreeing with anyone. We are open-minded. We understand the issues and deal with them in a calm and reasonable manner, because we are all children of this country, so we want to serve it. We trust everyone and we do not work on the basis of suspicion.
I hope for stronger cooperation between the executive and legislative authorities in the next legislative round, especially since HH the Amir repeatedly stressed this in his previous speeches or meetings with MPs and the civil society figures. The political leadership directs for cooperation as a basis for the relationship between the government and the National Assembly. We hope this cooperation leads to the implementation of more projects and laws. Frankly speaking, we must stop wasting time on discussing matters that hindered our work before. I am always ready to cooperate with everyone for the benefit of Kuwait and my doors are open to all people.
I want to reiterate that we are willing to cooperate with the National Assembly to fulfill our promises to the people and to implement our development plans. We want reason to dominate so the people can benefit from the good fruits of mutual and constructive efforts exerted by the two authorities.

Q: Some people think the upcoming parliamentary round will be heated. How do you view this matter?
A: Every problem has a solution. Thanks to Allah, we live in a rich country and our economy is very good. Hence, we have nothing to fear in terms of the economy or our livelihood. However, we hope everyone takes into consideration the wealth this country enjoys and work on ensuring its continuity. This means illogical demands must not affect the country’s financial status. Some people should refrain from presenting extreme demands. They should also consider the timing for voicing their demands.
The country’s investments are in good shape, so we should use them for the progress of Kuwait and its people by promoting the culture of quality production, in addition to improving the output of education and training. This will allow the Kuwaiti hands to maneuver all technical fields like the oil and petrochemical companies. In this manner, we can lay down a solid economic foundation to achieve economic stability in the country and expand our investments. This will in turn translate into more welfare and wealth for the citizens, while protecting our economy from crises.
Since we believe the youths are the future of the country, we do not want them to waste their time on pointless and frivolous activities. We want them to be productive, contribute to the growth of the country in all fields, achieve its ambitions, and work in the interest of the entire society.

Q: What about the development plan? What is the status of projects included in the plan?
A: The development plan is under continuous scrutiny and some projects are underway. We meet every week to ensure the special committees closely monitor these projects. We focus on good production and higher quality. We quickly take decisions and execute orders or instructions. The development wheel is moving forward as we are keen on implementing all the projects included in the plan, while removing all obstacles.

Q: We have been hearing complaints that the administration has aged. They think certain laws have become a burden because these are not in line with the latest developments in the country; hence, the need to pump new blood and amend laws. Please comment on this.
A: These are typical issues on top of our priority list. Yes, there are laws that need thorough review and we require more time to update them. We want to eliminate the overlapping functions in ministries and specify their duties in a better way to stop bureaucracy, which is detrimental to our development efforts. This is one of the issues on top of our priorities. To address the problem, we only need good intentions from everybody and the cooperation between the government and the Parliament to guarantee speedy discussions on the laws. This will also accelerate the implementation of projects and removal of obstacles, which negatively affect work procedures in all institutions.

Q: On the regional affairs, what is your opinion on talks that Kuwait and other members of the GCC are exposed to various risks, including the dire consequences of what is currently happening in the Arab world?
A: Yes, the region as a whole is facing certain risks but there is no reason to worry. Kuwait is secure on all fronts by virtue of its cooperation with other GCC nations. It is also worth mentioning that the regional incidents are monitored constantly, while deliberations on the security and stability of these countries have never stopped.
On the instability in some Arab countries, it is normal especially those experiencing the Arab Spring. These nations remain unstable as events are still unfolding; thereby, making the future very unpredictable — a situation that worries everyone and left us with backs off our seats to make sure no predicament befalls the Arab or Gulf region.
In Kuwait, we must concentrate on improving ourselves and protecting our shores. We should strengthen our security alliances with other GCC members. We must meet regularly to tackle the latest developments and quickly address problems to avert any crisis. This is the basis of my recent GCC tour, which proved fruitful because I had deep talks with our neighbors to emphasize the importance of strengthening coordination to maintain stability in the region.
Conflicts in some GCC nations are just part of the natural order of things, so there is nothing to fear because some of the demands are plausible, while others require constructive dialogue among the authorities and components of the society to iron out the grey areas. The situation is under control and we are not worried at all.
At this point, I want to stress that we were largely welcomed during our tour to the GCC nations. In my meeting with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz in Saudi Arabia, I felt I was in front of a historic leadership in the Islamic, Arab and Gulf nations, working extremely hard to for the stability and progress of the region.
This was also the case in Oman, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. The huge reception in these countries indicates the status of Kuwait’s relationship with them. The honor and warm reception was for Kuwait and the Amir, especially since it showed the depth of brotherly relations among these nations. This makes us believe that good relations have a vast impact on the situation in our territories. We are optimistic due to the positive indications in the geopolitical, security and economic fronts. We are not disturbed by any of the incidents in the region.

Q: What about the meetings on the international stage?
A: I am confident due to the positive outcomes of talks with US Vice-President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton in Washington, as well as the top Canadian officials and other high-profile leaders whom I met during the UN Assembly in New York. The discussions were fruitful because we tackled mutual benefits.