The eighth Kuwaiti-Bahraini joint committee ministerial meeting kicked off here on Wednesday with the participation of Kuwait's First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah AL-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and his Bahraini counterpart Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmad bin Mohammad Al Khalifa.
In a speech at the meeting, Sheikh Sabah AL-Khaled touted the "deep historical" ties between Kuwait and Bahrain, stressing that today's meeting reflected the care the leadership of both countries gave to enhancing bilateral cooperation on all pertinent levels, especially at a time when the region was experiencing a multitude of challenges.
He emphasized that "our presence here today, ready to sign bilateral memorandums of understanding, is a further step in augmenting the number of memorandums and agreements we have already signed together which so far top 36." He added that the participation of 23 societal sectors in today's joint committee meeting further demonstrated the great interest both countries gave to bilateral cooperation with long-range benefits for the Kuwaiti and Bahraini people.
To illustrate this cooperation, the Kuwaiti minister indicated in his speech that trade between the two countries grew substantially over the past ten year period, jumping by 275 percent to reach USD 260 million. Meanwhile the size of Kuwaiti investments in Bahrain topped KD 665 million, he said.
A further sign of close cooperation between the two countries, the Kuwaiti minister said, was the fact that Bahrain has been one of the most favorite vacation destinations for Kuwaiti tourists, with the number of flights between the two countries approaching 57 weekly.
Toward the end of his speech to the joint committee, the Kuwaiti minister congratulated Bahrain on its 43rd national day and on the 15th anniversary of the accession to the throne by the Bahraini monarch whom, the minister also congratulated for having received an award from a US based organization promoting tolerance and cooperation among world religions and civilizations.
The Kuwaiti Foreign Minister moreover congratulated Bahrain on the success of its recent municipal and legislative elections.
The Bahraini minister, in a similar speech at the joint committee meeting today, praised bilateral relations and His Highness the Kuwaiti Amir's stances regarding his boosting of the GCC mission for close cooperation on all pertinent levels among its members.
Saying that it was "well-deserved for His Highness the Amir's limitless support of humanitarian work," the Bahraini minister congratulated Kuwait for the UN award recently given to His Highness the Amir in recognition of his humanitarian benevolence.