Mutual keenness to bolster Arab - S America cooperation

There is keenness on both sides to boost cooperation and interaction between the Arab region and South America, with the opening of a Kuwaiti embassy in Chile in 2010 and the signing of multiple agreements clear and recent examples of efforts in this regard, a Kuwaiti diplomat told KUNA on Sunday. The remarks of Ambassador to Chile and Non-Resident Ambassador to Peru Reem Al-Khalid came ahead of the kickoff of the Third Summit of Heads of State and Government of South American-Arab Countries (III ASPA Summit). The ambassador stressed that His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah attaches great importance to this summit, in recognition, for one thing, of the importance of the growing markets and economies in Latin America. This was reflected in the Kuwaiti foreign policy, she noted, with opening of embassies in the region. Al-Khalid added that Kuwait is keen on further tapping into investments to utilize the region's wealth of natural resources and economic boom, having already signed agreements in the areas of trade cooperation, air transport, investment opportunities, and boosting trade exchange. The diplomat noted that the Amir had assigned the Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister as head of the Kuwaiti delegation to the ASPA Summit. The sessions would shed light on a host of hot issues including the ongoing change in the Middle East region, the so-called Arab Spring, and other important political and cultural dossiers, the ambassador remarked.