Kuwait accepts return of Iran envoy

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Appointment of Kuwait ambassador to Tehran awaits change

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 22, (Agencies): Kuwait has approved the nomination of a new ambassador of Iran to Kuwait in place of Ambassador Dr Ali Redha Enayati, reports Al-Rai daily.

Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Asian Affairs Ambassador Ali Al-Saeed said Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently approved the nomination.

In response to a question concerning resumption of service of the Kuwaiti ambassador to Tehran, he stressed that the situation will remain as is until Iran changes its approach.

Ambassador Al-Saeed indicated that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Khalid Al-Jarallah affirmed more than once about the need for Iran to take tangible steps for changing its approach and playing a positive role in the region.

“Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid and Deputy Foreign Minister Khalid Al-Jarallah have often stressed that Iran should take concrete steps to change its policy and adopt a positive role in the region,” Al-Saeed told reporters as he announced that Kuwait had approved the nomination of Iran’s ambassador designate to the Gulf state.

On Jan 5, 2016 Kuwait recalled its ambassador in Iran, saying the decision had been taken following “the storming, torching and sabotage activities carried out by a group of demonstrators on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and its Consulate in Mashhad”. Such actions constituted “a flagrant breach of international conventions and violation of Iran’s international commitment over security and safety of diplomatic missions on its soil,” the statement said.

Kuwait was the fourth Gulf country to take direct action against Tehran following the incident. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain severed diplomatic relations with Iran, while the UAE recalled its ambassador in Tehran “in accordance with its decision to downgrade diplomatic representation in Iran”.

Qatar condemned the attacks on the Saudi diplomatic missions. Kuwaiti officials have regularly called on Iran to end its meddling in the domestic affairs of the GCC countries. “We always stress that the Iranian interference must come to an end and we insist that our dialogue with Tehran must be based on the non-existence of any Iranian interference in the domestic affairs of our countries,” Al-Jarallah said in March last year.

“We look forward to the day when we do not see any form of Iranian interference in our affairs,” he said as he charged that Iran’s interference in Bahrain impacted dialogue, relations, security and stability in the region. In March this year, he said Kuwait told the Iranians the resumption of the dialogue depended on Tehran’s initiatives and commitment to normal relations with its neighbours. “As long as these requirements are not fulfilled, the dialogue is postponed,” he said.

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