The Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah stressed that the 45th Gulf Summit is being held in extremely complex circumstances that requires the member states to accelerate the achievement of economic integration.During the opening speech, the Kuwaiti Amir said: "This necessitates accelerating our efforts to achieve GCC economic integration through unified policies, diversification of non-traditional income sources, facilitation of trade and investment, and support for local industries."It is also vital to expand innovation and entrepreneurship, especially in emerging fields such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), to enhance the competitiveness of our economies regionally and globally."The Kuwaiti Amir welcomed the leaders and distinguished guests, extending his sincere thanks to the His Highness the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, for his wise leadership and efforts during the previous summit in Doha.Sheikh Meshal reiterated his condemnation of the brutal Israeli occupation of the occupied Palestinian land and the successive genocides against the Palestinian people.He urged "the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to fulfil its responsibilities by ensuring the implementation of relevant resolutions, halting the violence, providing international protection for innocent civilians, and securing safe corridors for urgent humanitarian aid.""We reiterate our unwavering support to Palestine and to end the Israeli occupation, attain all their political rights, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international resolutions," he stressed.He also emphasised Kuwait's firm stance in support of the Palestinian people and their cause in establishing an independent state within the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with relevant international resolutions.He reaffirmed full support for all contributions of the GCC countries to the stability of the region, including the leadership of Saudi Arabia in the efforts aimed at recognising the State of Palestine within the framework of the international coalition to implement the two-state solution, in addition to hosting the joint Arab-Islamic follow-up summit."We also commend Qatar, Egypt, and the US for their mediation efforts in achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and welcome the ceasefire in Lebanon as a step toward de-escalation," the Kuwaiti Amir said."We commend the positive steps expressed by Iran towards the GCC and look forward to resolving outstanding issues and enhancing cooperation in accordance with the UN Charter and international law," he added.He said: "We reaffirm our commitment to advancing joint Gulf action, meeting the aspirations of our people, and building a bright future of prosperity and stability."
December 02, 2024 | 12:54 AM