Kuwait, France ink declaration of intent on language cooperation

27/01/2015

KUWAIT-- The Kuwaiti and French governments have signed a declaration of intent for promoting and developing language cooperation as part of bilateral cultural relations.

The declaration was signed by First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and visiting French Minister Laurent Fabius.

Both sides also inked a memo of understanding for implementing a project for water desalination using solar energy, together with an extended memo of understanding in the field of personnel training.

The signing ceremony was attended by Undersecretary of the Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah, the Foreign Ministry's Europe Department Director Ambassador Waleed Al-Khubaizi, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled's Office Chief Ambassador Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah and several other senior officials of the Foreign Ministry.

Zour plant opens – Muslims first victims of ‘terror': French FM

KUWAIT: French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius called yesterday for international cooperation against extremism, saying Muslims have been the first victims of "terrorism". "No one fights under the name of religion," Fabius told journalists in Kuwait, the first Muslim country he has visited since last month's deadly attack on French magazine Charlie Hebdo by Islamist gunmen. When Kuwait and France fight "against terrorism, we fight those who are not only liars, but also killers," he said. "Muslims have been the first victims of those terrorists." Fabius called for more solid international cooperation to rein out extremism saying that "this is a battle we should win".

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah said Kuwait and France had "identical views on terrorism," and reiterated Kuwait's strong condemnation of the "brutal attacks in France", a reference to Charlie Hebdo. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled also warned that "terrorism is a threat for all of us", and called for greater efforts to drain funding of radical groups and recruitment of fighters. Fabius said France looks to Islam as a moderate religion and stressed that French authorities will apply the law firmly against any acts against Islam or Muslims.

The French chief diplomat was received by HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and other senior Kuwaiti officials. Earlier in the day, Fabius and Kuwait's Minister of Public Works and Electricity and Water Abdulaziz Al-Ibrahim inaugurated part of the Al-Zour North power plant, 100 km south of Kuwait City, being built and managed by French company GDF Suez in an alliance with Japanese and Kuwaiti firms. The reverse osmosis water desalination plant has a production capacity of 30 million imperial gallons per day, boosting total water production by 15 percent.

"Kuwait was one of the first countries in the world to use seawater desalination technology, creating opportunities for development. Our plan for the future is to double electric power and water desalination over the next 10 years through the implementation of many projects," Ibrahim said during the opening of the Zour plant. "We hope that French companies will be involved with the ministry of electricity and water or any other ministry," he added.

France's Veolia and Kuwait's Alghanim were awarded the project worth KD 54 million with operation and maintenance for five years. The South Al-Zour station is the second reverse osmosis project in Kuwait, the first being the Shuwaikh station that opened in 2011. These plants consume 20 percent less power.

"Kuwait is an important investor in France and we also want to invest in Kuwait," Fabius said. "This achievement shows the cooperation between the two countries, and this technology is the best in the world. I've seen the five-year plan of Kuwait for the period 2015 to 2019 and I see Kuwait's ambitions cover all areas, so we hope that there will be greater cooperation between the two countries in the field of health, transport, water, energy and others," he said.

"We also want to develop a relationship in the scientific field. I suggest teaching French in Kuwaiti schools, and we believe this is the best way to prepare students for a common future. To facilitate travel to France for Kuwaitis, we have decided to make the maximum time limit for the issuance of a visa to France just 48 hours," Fabius added.

Later, three important agreements were signed by Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled and Fabius, including a declaration of intent for promoting and developing language cooperation as part of bilateral cultural relations. Both sides also inked a memo of understanding for a water desalination project using solar energy, together with an extended memo of understanding in the field of personnel training.

Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled noted France is an important economic ally of Kuwait and its 10th largest trade partner, as the volume of trade between the two nations reached approximately $2 billion. In the regional and international sphere, Kuwait praised the constructive and positive role played by France at the UN Security Council for the resumption of the Mideast peace process and played an important role with regards to the situations in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya. The two sides also discussed ways and means of promoting and developing bilateral political, economic and cultural relations. During the meeting, both ministers reviewed the latest developments on both regional and international arenas and key issues of mutual interest.

French FM underscores cooperation with Kuwait on mega development projects

27/01/2015

KUWAIT-- Visiting French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius envisioned at the opening of the Az-Zour South Power Plant here on Tuesday boosting cooperation between his country and Kuwait in numerous fields including electricity, water, health, and transportation.

He congratulated in a press statement the cooperation between Kuwaiti personnel and French companies on the southern Az-Zour power plant project, saying such cooperation reflected the exemplary ties between the two nations.

He said his country looked forward to achieving such projects as the power plant beyond the five year development plan of the Kuwaiti government, stressing in that respect bolstering bilateral investments, especially Kuwaiti investments in France, which the minister said were of significant proportions.

Turning to other topics, Fabius said he valued the Kuwaiti government's intention to have the French language taught in Kuwaiti schools. Furthermore, he said his country, in a bid to encourage Kuwaiti tourism in France, was going to issue visas to Kuwaiti tourists in as little time as within 48 hours.

At the same time, Kuwaiti Minister of Public Works, Electricity, and Water Abdul-Aziz Al-Ibrahim, attending the opening of the southern Az-Zour power plant along with the French minister, emphasized the long relationship between the two countries, going back to the 1950s, in the field of electric power and water desalination.

On his part, the Assistant Undersecretary in the Ministry of Public Works, Electricity, and Water in charge of power plants and desalination plants Iyad Al-Falah said that the southern Az-Zour power plant, using reverse osmosis technology, has the capacity to produce 30 million empirical gallons of water a day, adding thus 15 percent to the ministry's total daily water output.

Indicating that the project was in the hands of a French firm and a Kuwaiti one, Al-Falah said the project cost KD 54 million, to be overseen by the two firms for a period of five years. He said the usage of reverse osmosis at this plant is the second of its type in Kuwait, the first one being used in the Shuwaikh power plant in 2011.