European parliament forms Kuwait Friends Group

The European Parliament announced Tuesday the formation of Kuwait Friends Group to boost bilateral relations and joint action. In a statement to reporters following a meeting with Kuwait National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim and his accompanying delegation, the MEP Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou unveiled the formation of a group of Kuwait friends at the European Parliament. Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, chairperson of the newly-minted group, stated that the group aims to help strengthen Kuwait-EU relations and give impetus to joint action. She pointed out that the group would offer a platform for European and Kuwaiti parliamentarians to enhance cooperation between government institutions and civil society organizations in both Europe and Kuwait. The MEP went on to say that Kuwait is an important player in the Middle East and cooperation with it would provide a chance to retain peace and stability in the region. For his part, Al-Ghanim welcomed the formation of the group and Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou's presidency of it. He expressed hopes that the group efforts would bear fruits in the near future. Earlier, Al-Ghanim held talks with the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz. The talks touched upon means to bolster bilateral relations as well as international and regional