The ministers thanked officials for progress made during
the work of the Joint Steering Group. Signing a formal
action plan, they expressed their commitment to working
together over the next 6 months to advance the close
Kuwait-UK relationship to the benefit of both countries.
The ministers also noted the success of the recent visit to
Kuwait by the Duke of Cambridge in December 2019.
Ministers agreed to continue to collaborate on a wide range
of issues, including trade, investment, migration,
security, defence, cyber security, healthcare, education,
higher education, scientific research, environment, culture
and international development. Both sides highlighted the
continued relevance of the Joint Steering Group to the
bilateral relationship.
The discussions on defence focused on ways to strengthen
cooperation between the two countries especially on
training and joint exercises. The discussions referred to
Exercise Desert Warrior, which was held in December 2019
and was attended by HRH the Duke of Cambridge. Discussions
on security focused on combating shared threats, including
protecting aviation interests through improved airport
security and training.
Both Dr Murrison and Mr Aljarallah attended the signing of
an MoU between Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development
and UK Department for International Development to
establish a framework for operational co-operation
including identifying ways in which collaboration between
them can contribute to the realisation of the UN
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and strengthen the
global development efforts. They also attended the signing
of an MoU between the Kuwait Society of Engineers KSE and
the UK Engineering Council EngC , which will provide
Membership to UK Chartered and Incorporated Engineers
according to KSE requirements and the criteria needed to
become members of KSE, EngC shall do the same according to
EngC requirements and criteria needed for that.
Welcoming the productive discussions, Dr Andrew Murrison
said:
The UK is proud of its strong relationship with Kuwait, a
friendship which celebrated its 120th anniversary in
2019. Our partnership crosses multiple sectors, including
trade, investment, defence, security, healthcare,
education, scientific research, the environment, culture
and international development. I look forward to seeing
the fruits of our ongoing partnership continue to
flourish as we move into 2020 and beyond.
