Outgoing envoys at the cake-cutting ceremony

 KUWAIT CITY, July 12: The Deanship of the Diplomatic Corps in Kuwait organized a farewell ceremony for six ambassadors who completed their assignments in the country. The ceremony was held at the St. Regis Hotel with a large number of diplomats and officials, headed by a representative of the Protocol Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Haif Al-Huwailah, in attendance.

Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of Tajikistan to Kuwait Zubaydullah Zubaydov expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to the outgoing ambassadors for their efforts during their tenure. He praised the agreements and initiatives they achieved to support bilateral relations and deepen the bonds of friendship and understanding. He affirmed that the diplomatic corps in Kuwait is characterized by unique cooperation among its members and a spirit of teamwork, which contributed to making every farewell an opportunity to celebrate achievement and loyalty. He stated “We wish you a prosperous future filled with success. Kuwait will always remain a second home for you.”

He highlighted the influential role of US Ambassador Karen Sasahara, whose tenure witnessed the strong start of technological cooperation between the two countries, with companies such as Google Cloud and Johnson & Johnson entering the Kuwaiti market, in addition to the launching of strategic partnerships with Microsoft. He praised the pivotal role played by British Ambassador Belinda Lewis during her four years in Kuwait, specifically her active participation in strategic dialogues and organizing high-level visits to and from the two countries -- most notably the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh and the celebration of the 125th anniversary of diplomatic relations. He pointed out her contributions to strengthening defense, humanitarian, and commercial cooperation, with trade exchanges reaching more than £6 billion annually. He also put the spotlight on her support for educational and cultural projects and symbolic visits, such as hosting the Red Arrows. He touched on the initiatives undertaken by Canadian Ambassador Aliya Mawani to promote humanitarian values and social justice, as well as her support for education and gender equality. He lauded the grand celebration that Mawani organized, marking the 60th anniversary of Canadian-Kuwaiti relations, which included artistic and sporting events.

US Ambassador is presented a memento

He noted the achievements of Egyptian Ambassador Osama Shaltout, which included five presidential visits; the signing of more than 10 cooperation agreements in the housing, aviation and education sectors; and the increase of Kuwaiti investments in Egypt to more than $20 billion. He mentioned the ambassador’s role in caring for the Egyptian community, his innovation of a digital employment system, his contributions to cultural initiatives such as the “Together in Love with Kuwait” festival, and his active participation in humanitarian issues, particularly the support for Gaza. He paid tribute to Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bhutan Chitem Tenzin, who concluded a four-year diplomatic career that witnessed the signing of the historic air transport agreement, three visits by the King of Bhutan to Kuwait, and the expansion of the Bhutanese community to include more than 10,000 individuals. He then commended Head of the NATO Office at the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative Regional Center Nora Elise Beck, who led the office during its most active period since inception, organizing 74 official events to address security, energy and women empowerment issues.

By Fares Ghaleb
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff