Kuwait said it would make sure that 10 percent of its humanitarian assistance goes through multilateral channels, so we discussed how that can be managed best, where it should go to. We’ve a very good cooperative relationship we want to build on for the future,” Holmes told KUNA and Kuwait TV.
He said a UN official from his office will visit Kuwait next April to continue this “collaboration and partnership.” He noted that Kuwait makes contributions through the Red Crescent, through bilateral funds such as the recently established Fund for Decent Life in Muslim countries. “What we want to encourage, not only in Kuwait, but in other countries in the area as well, is to channel more of this generosity through multilateral channels, because we believe that’s a good systematic prioritized strategic way of doing it which fits into something which is planned and therefore more accountable, better way of doing it,” he said. Asked by KUNA about the global financial crisis and the risk of contributions to dry up, Holmes said, “That’s one of our fears. There is no indication of that at the moment … People recognize that the humanitarian requirements are going up” because of climate change and other factors.
Policies
Meanwhile, Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) on Friday said he discussed with Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah the financial crises in the US and the world and the need to create new policies in order to overcome the challenges.
Haass told KUNA and Kuwait TV following the meeting that the visit to New York by many heads of state and government this week in connection with the General Assembly’s 63rd session comes at a time when a lot of Americans are “obviously preoccupied with the financial crisis.” “Given his (Sheikh Mohammad) background in economics, he gave us the chance to talk about the financial crisis, about the need not just in this country but in the entire world to put into place new policies, new institutions, new rules for dealing with global economic challenges.”
Uzbek Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov late Friday met with Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah to discuss a wide range of fields where their countries can increase their cooperation that “should be mutually beneficial.” Norov told KUNA and Kuwait TV following the meeting that the bilateral cooperation began as a natural result of HH the Amir’s visit to Uzbekistan last June.
During that visit, he explained, both leaders found common position and established very personal relationship. They quickly ordered their foreign ministers to prepare special documents outlining the direction of cooperation and planned to organize in Kuwait by the end of this year the first Intergovernmental Commission for trade and investment.
“We hope the visit of our delegation will be very successful,” Norov said, adding that Sheikh Mohammad will visit Uzberkistan in mid-October to further prepare for this event. He added that Uzbek officials look with “great interest and appreciation the achievement of Kuwait, the growth of its economy, the growth of the investment capacity,” recalling that Uzbekistan, the biggest country in central Asia, is rich in minerals and natural resources and focuses on chemical industry, gas and oil.
Another field of interest, he added, is tourism, disclosing that a Kuwaiti company plans to build in Bukhara a five-star hotel. Education is another field of cooperation, he noted, where Uzbekistan “accepted with much appreciation” HH the Amir’s donation to the University of Tashkent and both countries opened the universities of World Economy and Diplomacy. The focus now is on exchanging students and professors.
