Kuwait denies report on disputed territories between Japan, China – ‘No pressure on football federations’
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KUWAIT CITY, May 15, (KUNA): Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Suleiman Al-Jarallah dismissed on Sunday Japanese reports that disputed areas between Japan and China were mentioned in a Kuwaiti-Japanese joint statement issued following recent bilateral talks in Tokyo.
Al-Jarallah was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the opening of the Comorian embassy in Kuwait.
He said that a Japanese newspaper had carried reports in this regard, citing a Japanese official’s statement. “We don’t care about such statements or hints from anywhere.” He reiterated Kuwait’s commitment to the Kuwaiti-Japanese joint statement, and to the declaration of Doha Forum in this regard, which included nothing negative against China.
Al-Jarallah added that China is involved in discussions in East Asia, including sea or land affairs, just out of its consultations with concerned parties in line with the UN principles and charter and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Furthermore, Al-Jarallah lauded “strategic relations” between Kuwait and China on the basis that the latter is a major country that exercises its functions and has relations according to its historical responsibilities for maintaining international security and stability.
Meanwhile, Al-Jarallah said Kuwait cannot exert influence or pressure on other states’ football federations, regretting the recent negative vote against Kuwait over the country’s sports suspension.
Al-Jarallah was replying to a question by reporters on the sidelines of the opening of the embassy of Comoros in Kuwait, about the vote of over 170 FIFA member states against the resumption of Kuwaiti sports activities, including countries which get loans and aid from Kuwait.
“We respect the soccer federations of these countries. It is not an official vote of the states. We can by no means exert interference, influence or pressure on any state’s federation,” he said.
Al-Jarallah urged the football federations of world countries to believe in the significance of lifting this freeze imposed on Kuwait’s international sports activities, emphasizing that Kuwait needs to reverse its approach in this regard.
Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti official deplored the “social occasion” which tackled the issue of Iran’s Ahvaz City, reiterating Kuwait’s respect of the states’ sovereignty and non-interference in their internal affairs.
Replying another question on the summoning of the Kuwaiti charge d’affaires in Iran, he said: “We regrettably monitored this matter and we confirm Kuwait’s commitment to the principles of politics, respects of the State’s sovereignty, non-interference in their domestic affairs and good-neighborliness.”
“It is neither logical nor reasonable for the State of Kuwait to be accused of interference in the internal affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Kuwaiti position in this regard is obvious,” he noted.
Dismissing any knowledge about this social occasion, he said: “Kuwait has clarified its position to the friends in Iran via diplomatic channels. We noticed Iran’s understanding in this regard.”
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