Kuwait-UK Steering Group sees signing of cooperation deals

The 21st session of the Kuwaiti-British joint Steering Group that was co-chaired by Kuwait's Deputy Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Hamish Falconer came to a close on Wednesday. The meeting witnessed the signing of an action of plan for the next six months and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation to support Kuwait's Civil Service Commission (CSC) as well as two memoranda for joint funding and development support in Palestine and Yemen. The memo on CSC was signed by Sheikh Jarrah and Falconer to provide a training program for government employees to improve services. They also signed the action of plan. The two memos were signed by acting Director General of Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) Waleed Shamlan and Falconer. Under the MoU on backing humanitarian situations in the Gaza Strip and Yemen, Kuwait and the UK will provide USD 1.5 million each for United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund's (UNICEF) projects to restore supplying water and sewage in Gaza and maintain basic healthcare services in Yemen. Speaking to KUNA in a statement, Ambassador Sheikh Jarrah said this year is important for both Kuwait and the UK as they are marking the 125th anniversary of their partnership. The State of Kuwait is proud of its deep-rooted and historic relations with the UK, Sheikh Jarrah noted. "We got pleased for the cultural Kuwaiti-British week and the holding of the 21st session of the Steering Group," he said. The action of plan approved during the group's meeting paves the way for further cooperation in a number of fields between the two sides, Sheikh Jarrah elaborated. Commenting on signing those memoranda, Sheikh Jarrah expressed his gladness for cooperation with the UK to back UNICEF in Palestine and Yemen. He went to say that they would continue to explore means of boosting cooperation to provide humanitarian and development assistance to those af fected by conflicts and natural disasters across the globe. Source: Kuwait News Agency