RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan and his Kuwaiti counterpart Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah headed the first meeting of the Saudi-Kuwaiti Coordination Council here on Sunday. They signed a number of agreements in various fields during their meeting, the Saudi Press Agency reported. At the beginning of the meeting, Prince Faisal welcomed the Kuwaiti foreign minister and his accompanying delegation, expressing his expectations of a positive outcome that meets the aspirations of the leadership and citizens of the two countries. The Saudi foreign minister referred to the Kingdom's historic and distinguished relationship with Kuwait which dates back to the era of King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al-Saud and Sheikh Mubarak bin Sabah Al Jaber Al-Sabah and continues under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. "This meeting is a clear indication of the sincere desire of both countries to develop and diversify relations, and the tireless endeavor to devote bilateral cooperation in various fields of mutual benefits and common interests," the Saudi foreign minister said. "Our security is one, our interests are interconnected, our goals are common, and we consider activating this council a strong factor in raising the level of coordination and consultation between us, whether at the bilateral or multilateral level, on all issues of concern to our two countries in the region and the world, which will strongly push toward deepening the common factors that bind our two countries," he added. Prince Faisal also said that the negative effects of the coronavirus pandemic contributed to the drop in the volume of trade between the two countries, hoping that this would improve in the near future due to a flurry of mutual visits by businessmen, encouragement for exports, and the removal of all obstacles that prevent an increase in trade exchange. During the meeting, the two sides signed agreements in the fields of youth, sports, direct investment, as well as a technical cooperation program in the field of standardization to resolve differences. Minister of Education Dr. Hamad Al-Sheikh signed a memorandum of understanding with the Kuwaiti foreign minister in the field of education and a memorandum of cooperation in the field of higher education and scientific research between the two countries. Established in July 2018, the Council seeks to develop a joint vision that strengthens and sustains the Saudi-Kuwait relations, enhance inter-state economic integration, create optimal utilization of existing resources and lay down the foundations of a concise and effective education system in line with the wider, strategic objectives of the Gulf Cooperation Council. It also aims at enhancing cooperation and partnerships in the political, security, and military fields and highlighting the two countries' economic standing, human resources development and political, security and military integration in various areas.
