Iran, Kuwait Hold 1st Meeting of Joint Political Committee

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for African and Middle Eastern Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian and the Kuwaiti Ministry's Undersecretary Khaled Suleiman Al-Jarrallah co-chaired the meeting on Monday.

In his remarks, the Kuwaiti official described ties between Tehran and Kuwait City as growing and emphasized that his country is determined to promote bilateral relations with Iran in all areas.

He also called Iran’s role in regional developments constructive and significant, and called for mutual cooperation between the two countries to combat terrorism.

Jarrallah also renewed the invitation of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah to the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to make a trip to Kuwait, saying that the visit would be a turning point in the history of bilateral relations.

During the meeting, Amir Abdollahian said Iran is keen to expand relations with Kuwait in all areas and implement the agreements already signed between the two countries.

He also commented on the common threats to the region posed by terrorist groups such as the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), saying, “The Islamic Republic of Iran from the beginning (of the group’s activities) had warned its political and financial supporters about the terrorist group’s menace.”

The Iranian diplomat also emphasized that Iran is determined to fight terrorism and will not wait for the decisions made by the US-led coalition against ISIL.

The ISIL is a militant group in Iraq and Syria believed to be supported by the West and some regional Arab countries. The terrorist group claims as an independent state the territory of Iraq and Syria, with implied future claims intended over more of the Levant, including Lebanon, occupied Palestine, Jordan, Cyprus, and Southern Turkey.