The US Ambassador to the country Alina Romanowski announced that personal interviews with students are now suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, and pointed out that it is possible for student visas to be renewed without conducting personal interviews, reports Al Rai daily. She added that “after work returns normally, the priority will be for students.”
During an interview on the TV program ‘Good Evening, Kuwait’, yesterday, Ambassador Romanowski spoke on the diplomatic work and confronting the coronavirus pandemic that this year will witness the fourth US-Kuwaiti strategic dialogue, headed by the foreign ministers of the two countries, which will allow for discussions on many Security and commercial issues related to consular and education. Highlighting the strong and distinguished relations between the two countries, she noted that next year will mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, in addition to the 30th anniversary of the liberation of Kuwait.
She stated that over the past 70 years, America has been a prime destination for Kuwaiti students, in addition to the strength of trade relations between the two countries, as the trade exchange reached 4.6 billion dollars.
She revealed cooperation with the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) next week, to produce technical solutions to the problems caused by the pandemic. She also highlighted the extensive cooperation in the medical sector between the United States and Kuwait, in the fight against “Covid-19”, through online platforms. She revealed that for the first time, two American military doctors obtained a license to practice their profession in Kuwait, and there is cooperation between Jaber Hospital and the American Hospital Massiani.
Ambassador Romanowski stressed that both countries have provided a lot of humanitarian assistance to combat the pandemic globally. She praised Kuwait for taking deliberate steps to reopen the economy, and protect and educate citizens and expats of the disease.
Regarding the precautionary health measures undertaken by the embassy, she said, “We follow the health instructions issued by the World Health Organization and the CDC, and the embassy staff follow social distancing and the majority work from home.” She added that the diplomatic work did not stop, and her communication with the Kuwaiti government continued through online technologies. She mentioned that the health and safety of about 30,000 Americans living in Kuwait is one of her most important priorities, and therefore all of them are contacted in several ways.