The French ambassador to Kuwait H E Claire Le Flecher, confirmed that the visit of the French frigate “Surkuf” is the first visit of a foreign navy to Kuwait since “Corona”, describing this visit as an important event to enhance military cooperation between Kuwait and France and strengthen ties between them.
In a statement to reporters on the sidelines of the reception she held at her residence on the occasion of the conclusion of the visit of the French frigate and in honor of its crew, the ambassador recalled the role of the French forces in liberating Kuwait and supporting the Kuwaiti right, as well as the presence of 20 French soldiers and officers at the Arifjan base, in addition to a large number of French soldiers and technicians are training members of the Kuwaiti armed forces to use the Caracal helicopters.
She revealed that the frigate’s crew met with the Kuwaiti side on two occasions, the first at the beginning of the visit and the second before its departure yesterday, to discuss the security of the Gulf, explaining that the frigate “Surkuf” is part of a European operation to ensure the smooth flow of navigation in the Gulf waters, a peaceful process aimed at ensuring the smooth flow of navigation. It has no other objectives.
With regard to visas, Le Flecher appealed to Kuwaitis wishing to spend the summer vacation in her country, to quickly apply for the visa before the date of travel, due to the growing demand for the French visa by Kuwaitis and residents with the stability of the numbers of the consular staff, indicating that the consular section of the embassy receives more than 200 requests per day.
For his part, the French military attache in Kuwait, Colonel Olivier Bassoh, revealed that his country has delivered to Kuwait 26 Caracal planes so far, and the remaining four will be delivered before the end of this year, as part of the deal concluded between the two countries, noting that the technical training of the Kuwaiti pilots has been completed. The tactical training remains, which takes time to complete.
The commander of the frigate, Edouard de Vallee, said that Kuwait is a major partner of France in the region and every time a new French naval vessel is deployed, it visits Kuwait. He added, “Our mission is to be present in the region to provide assistance to those in need of partners and friends
