Pakistan and Kuwait on Monday agreed to further deepen the existing bilateral relations with special focus on creating investment opportunities for Kuwaiti business community to invest in various sectors. Speaking at a joint stakeout after the talks along with Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Shaikh Khalid Al-Hamd Al-Sabah, Prime Minister Special Adviser on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi expressed satisfaction over the discussions held during various meetings on the eve of the visit of Kuwaiti Prime Minister along with his delegation to the country.
During the talks, he said the Kuwaiti leadership gave an assurance that they want to raise level of the existing relationship to the extent that is people oriented and is participatory in Pakistan''s economic projects with enhancement of trade between the two countries.
Referring to four agreements and MoUs signed between the two countries, he said the boards of investment of the two countries signed an agreement on promotion of investment under which Kuwaiti investors will be encouraged to invest in a large number of sectors that have now being opened for the private sector.
He said under the agreement, Kuwaiti entrepreneurs and investors will interact with Pakistan''s private sector to enhance investment co-operation. He said "we have nearly 120,000 Pakistanis working in Kuwait who are engaged in growth and development of the country and have a solid contribution to the economy of Kuwait." The Kuwaiti Foreign Minister expressed strong support for greater number of Pakistanis to skilled workers to be able to go to Kuwait and participate in the country''s economic development and an agreement to this account was also signed between the two countries.
An Amended Protocol on Labour was signed by Secretary Labour Munir Qureshi and Kuwait''s Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs Khalid Suleman, which will facilitate the passage of our skilled labour to Kuwait, he added. He further said another agreement was signed which will waive the requirement of visas to those carrying official passports, diplomatic passports and similar travel documents.
He said both the countries have had very frequent exchange of visits at the highest level time and again. He termed the meeting between the two prime ministers as significant, adding that both the countries have historical ties. Fatemi said during his meeting with Kuwait Foreign Minister, they added to the discussions held earlier in the day between the two prime ministers. In the morning, he said ministers of commerce and finance of the two countries as well as businessmen and investors, and heads of the boards of investment held intensive talks.
He said Pakistan attaches highest importance to its relations with Kuwait, adding both the countries have been friends for long time and the two will celebrate the 50th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations in the coming few days. "The relationship between the two countries is not only cordial and co-operative, but moving in the right direction that the leadership of the two countries determined...to inject substance and meaning to these relations," he added. During his meeting, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif briefed his Kuwaiti counterpart on his government''s focus which is the economic revival of the country with high priority to energy sector and the role, Kuwait could play in facilitating Pakistan in these plans, Fatemi added.
He said there was also discussion on the regional situation with special context to the prime minister''s desire to promote peace process with India and to extend his support to Afghan reconciliation. He added that Pakistan wants peaceful and co-operative relations with all its neighbours. "We believe that peace and stability in Pakistan has the linkage not only to economic growth and development within Pakistan, but it in establishing friendly ties with all the neighbours," he said.
During the talks, he said both sides also discussed how Kuwait could increase its co-operation in other sector of economy including defence. He pointed out that Kuwait is going to take over the chairmanship of Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) next month and hoped that Kuwait will take a leading role to persuade other GCC countries to provide Pakistan with an opportunity to increase its trade with member states. To a question whether Pakistan demanded Afghanistan to hand over the newly-appointed TTP chief Molvi Fazlullah as well as other Pakistani Taliban including Molvi Faqir and Taqir Mehsud, the Prime Minister Special Adviser declined to comment, saying "these days Mullahs and Maulanas are in hot waters," hence would refrain from commenting on any ''Mullah''.
To another question, he said during the discussions, the Kuwaiti leadership has informed Pakistani counterparts that there is no ban on travel of Pakistani citizens to Kuwait having genuine travel documents. He further said that Pakistan also offers opportunity for our trained manpower to assist their Kuwaiti counterparts and also Kuwait could consider the fact that Pakistan has very sophisticated industrial base for small conventional weapons. "The desire of both the countries is to make their relationship not merely in defence, but also in other fields in more meaningful way," he added.
Kuwaiti Foreign Minister said signing of agreements and MoUs will help further strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries. He said all the 22 treaties along with those signed on Monday, will help push forward our mutual relationship.
To a question regarding visa issues, he said we are working seriously to resolve the issue and the MoU signed will provide further help in this regard. He said Kuwait will also facilitate the skilled labour because we need our skilled labour to help in our development. He pointed out that under the agreement regarding skilled workers, 150 Pakistani doctors will be given job opportunities in Kuwait and the number will reach 1,000 in the next phase. On military co-operation, he said under the agreement, 2,000 Pakistan army personnel will work with their Kuwaiti colleagues in different fields.
On the regional situation as well as situation in Syria, he said Kuwait was deeply concerned over what is happening in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Syria, adding that they were doing their best within the framework of GCC, Arab League, OIC and UN to find a peaceful political solution to Syria crisis.
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