Cristian Tudor, head of European Union Delegation to Kuwait, said the EU is keen to enhance this dialogue in support of Kuwait’s “Vision 2035” to diversify its economy, building up on the long-established ties that EU Member States enjoy with Kuwait.
“The economic ties between the EU and Kuwait are an important focus of the bilateral relationship as the EU is the third biggest trade partner for Kuwait,” he told reporters on Sunday, citing the 2018 statistics. “The two sides are engaged in regular dialogue on trade and investment and macroeconomic issues under the GCC framework,” the EU senior diplomat pointed out.
“While we are expanding bilateral engagement, EU cooperation with Kuwait remains anchored around the GCC with a close partnership especially on the economic agenda and how we can mutually address our employment, trade and fiscal challenges. “Kuwait’s role last year as GCC Presidency and the efforts of His Highness the Amir (Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah) to try to resolve the Gulf rift were strongly supported by the EU.
“This year Kuwait and the EU co-chaired the 3rd EU-GCC Business Forum with the strong support of KDIPA (Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority), Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and the Supreme Council for Planning and Development,” Ambassador Tudor affirmed.
On the people-to-people relations, he said, “It is not exclusively government to government engagement – this is matched by people to people exchanges – business to business dialogue, education and parliamentary exchanges as well as cultural diplomacy.” “The visit of a delegation from the European Parliament last December that was hosted by the National Assembly should be followed by a return visit to Brussels by Kuwaiti parliamentarians. “Also in December last year, the EU awarded the EU-GCC Human rights Chaillot Prize to LOYAC, the Kuwaiti nonprofit organisation working on professional development and personal growth of young people, in recognition of its work in empowering youth and in enriching civic and cultural life in Kuwait.
“The EU also regularly supports cultural and educational activities in Kuwait, in partnership with local civil society organisations. In terms of cultural diplomacy and people-to-people relations, the EU sponsorship of the 2nd and 3rd annual LAPA Festivals of Art and Dance is notable,” Tudor pointed out.
“A total of five workshops and seminars that the EU co-organised during the past year with the Kuwait Society for Human Rights, LOYAC and the Kuwait Women’s Cultural and Social Society are proof positive of the strength of these relations. Kuwaiti people and civil society in Kuwait are thus an integral part of the relations between the EU and Kuwait. The EU offers the opportunity to students, researchers and higher education and research institutions from Kuwait to participate in Erasmus+ and the Marie SklodowskaCurie (MSC) Actions, with special funding allocated to support candidates from the Gulf region, he noted.
The EU has increased its footprint in the Gulf this year by opening a fully-fledged EU Delegation to Kuwait which is enabling us to deepen further our engagement both with Kuwait and other GCC countries.
Ambassador Tudor quoted former EU high representative Federica Mogherini as saying at the opening of the Delegation of the EU to Kuwait on July 14, 2019, “In a moment of regional and global tensions, Kuwait is a voice of wisdom and a force for peace. And this is what has made us natural partners in these difficult times.”
The EU and Kuwait have demonstrated their readiness to cooperate on jointly tackling international challenges by co-chairing several important international events, such as the Brussels Conference on supporting the future of Syria and the region, the Kuwait International Conference on the reconstruction of Iraq or the International Conference on the Plight of the Rohingya. “Let me use this opportunity to wish you all the best for the end-of-year and I look forward to working together to ensure that 2020 will be remembered as the best year yet in EU-Kuwait relations,” Ambassador Tudor concluded.
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