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162506
Sun, 02/20/2011 - 13:12
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https://www.oananews.org//node/162506
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Liberation of Kuwait historic UN achievement -- Etaibi
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 20 (KUNA) -- The liberation of the State of Kuwait is a historical achievement or the United Nations (UN) which merits pride, and the Kuwaiti and Iraqi people, despite the Saddam aggression of 1990, have more in common than things that drives them apart.
This sentiment was stressed by Kuwaiti Ambassador to the UN Mansour Ayyad Al-Etaibi in a KUNA interview on Sunday, marking the state's 50th Anniversary of the Independence, the 20th Anniversary of the Liberation, and 5th Anniversary of His Highness the Amir's Assumption of Power.
The ambassador extended his warmest greetings to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and the Kuwaiti people on this blesses occasion.
"Recalling the 1990 aggression brings back painful memories, true, but thanks are due to the Almighty, as always, for we are over that crisis now and working on bolstering diplo matic relations with Iraq, as well as other nations.
"Kuwait took to reconstruction and implementation of UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution immediately after the liberation, and the security dossier topped all concerns till the fall of the Saddam regime in 2003.
"From that point forward, we started a new phase with Iraq; relations are good at present and there is progress on many fronts and even more progress is expected within a few months," the diplomat noted.
"We are confident that there is more to unite us than there is to divide us, and there is much to be achieved in the common interest of our two nations.
" On remaining tough spots in relations with Iraq, the ambassador remarked, "we sense the Iraqi government's desire to work out remaining difficulties as soon as possible, and we are waiting for the good intentions to be translated into measurable action, and are most willing to assist in that direction." The ambassador said he believes circumstances are opportune for progress and that both countries would benefit from stronger relations, particularly economic relations. He stressed the factors of peace and stability are key for the best interest of the entire region, not only the two neighbor states.
The diplomats expressed confidence the UN would spare no effort to assist Iraq to meet its UNSC obligations in this regard and most importantly in relation to border demarcation, missing people, and stolen Kuwaiti property.
The ambassador seized this opportunity and expressed greetings and welcomed the visit of Iraqi Premier Nouri Al-Maliki to Kuwait, last Wednesday, in gracious return for a visit by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad to Iraq last month. "Kuwait is an open country, and we welcome Iraqi officials, who still come on visits to our homeland." Kuwait-UN relations are meanwhile close, the ambassador stressed, and added Kuwait takes pride in this relation, and is keen on boost ing it further. The state is also committed to the UN Charter and the principles of non-interference in states' internal affairs, resolving disputes in peaceful manner, and condemnation of use of force or threat of such action in an attempt to settle any differences.
Liberating Kuwait, he reiterated, was a historical and unprecedented achievement for the UN, and one which merits pride. Kuwait appreciated this support as it sought to regain and restore its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
"The stance of the international community back then was a live demonstration of the concept of collective peace and security, realization of which is the fundamental mission of the UN as a body." The State of Kuwait, in gratitude for this stance, spares no opportunity to support UN activities, and most particularly in the fields of peace building and security efforts, as well as all development, humane action, and financial action initiatives, the official remarked
-- Since establishment of the UN Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM) in 1993 till end of its mandate in 2003, Kuwait funded two thirds of its budget, which comes to about USD 300 million, to enable the UN body to meet its objectives.
Kuwait also presents voluntary contributions such as a donation to the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, pays its dues on time, and does so without any preconditions. It hosts a UN office to assist operations in Iraq, and another to assist with operations in Afghanistan. The state provides all logistic support needed to both offices, the diplomat stressed.
When it comes to development efforts, Al-Etaibi pointed out that Kuwait goes beyond supporting UN bodies and agencies to doubling its voluntary contributions in certain funds to as much as five-fold the original.
The state puts ample focus on the region, and extended such contributions as the USD 300 million aimed at reduction of poverty in Africa through the Islamic Development Bank, an Amiri gesture of a donation of USD 500 million for the fund to support small and medium projects in the Arab region and combat unemployment and poverty, as well as many other contributions.
The diplomat also addressed diplomatic action over the past 20 years. He told KUNA there had been many achievements, listing as example the doubling of the number of Kuwaiti missions abroad, in an effort to bolster strong relations with the international community.
Kuwait opened embassies in Mexico, Chile, and Cuba after the premier's Caribbean and Latin America tour last year. The state now has some 90 embassies and diplomatic missions, the ambassador said.
The next step for Kuwait is to have Kuwaiti officials in senior posts within the UN and other regional and international organizations, he said, and there is a great number of well-qualified Kuwaitis for such a step.
In the economic sphere, the ambassador noted that Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development extend ed loans to 100 countries since establishment in 1961.
The state is also keen on signing agreements and honoring obligations in view of such agreements with countries and specialized organizations. Most of agreements are implemented except for a few currently under consideration for means of implementation, such as agreements relating to the effort to stem funding of terrorism, international agreements on countering nuclear terrorism, and an agreement on people with special needs.
"The UN is indispensible in the effort to counter current challenge and difficulties facing the international community," such as terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, climate change, and development goals such as curbing poverty, Al-Etaibi stressed.
"We therefore believe there is a great need for a body like the UN to coordinate and unify policies and channel efforts to meet our objectives, and the body should accordingly be maintained and preserved as a multilateral mechanism and its c harter respected and upheld, along with international law.
This sentiment was stressed by Kuwaiti Ambassador to the UN Mansour Ayyad Al-Etaibi in a KUNA interview on Sunday, marking the state's 50th Anniversary of the Independence, the 20th Anniversary of the Liberation, and 5th Anniversary of His Highness the Amir's Assumption of Power.
The ambassador extended his warmest greetings to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and the Kuwaiti people on this blesses occasion.
"Recalling the 1990 aggression brings back painful memories, true, but thanks are due to the Almighty, as always, for we are over that crisis now and working on bolstering diplo matic relations with Iraq, as well as other nations.
"Kuwait took to reconstruction and implementation of UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution immediately after the liberation, and the security dossier topped all concerns till the fall of the Saddam regime in 2003.
"From that point forward, we started a new phase with Iraq; relations are good at present and there is progress on many fronts and even more progress is expected within a few months," the diplomat noted.
"We are confident that there is more to unite us than there is to divide us, and there is much to be achieved in the common interest of our two nations.
" On remaining tough spots in relations with Iraq, the ambassador remarked, "we sense the Iraqi government's desire to work out remaining difficulties as soon as possible, and we are waiting for the good intentions to be translated into measurable action, and are most willing to assist in that direction." The ambassador said he believes circumstances are opportune for progress and that both countries would benefit from stronger relations, particularly economic relations. He stressed the factors of peace and stability are key for the best interest of the entire region, not only the two neighbor states.
The diplomats expressed confidence the UN would spare no effort to assist Iraq to meet its UNSC obligations in this regard and most importantly in relation to border demarcation, missing people, and stolen Kuwaiti property.
The ambassador seized this opportunity and expressed greetings and welcomed the visit of Iraqi Premier Nouri Al-Maliki to Kuwait, last Wednesday, in gracious return for a visit by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad to Iraq last month. "Kuwait is an open country, and we welcome Iraqi officials, who still come on visits to our homeland." Kuwait-UN relations are meanwhile close, the ambassador stressed, and added Kuwait takes pride in this relation, and is keen on boost ing it further. The state is also committed to the UN Charter and the principles of non-interference in states' internal affairs, resolving disputes in peaceful manner, and condemnation of use of force or threat of such action in an attempt to settle any differences.
Liberating Kuwait, he reiterated, was a historical and unprecedented achievement for the UN, and one which merits pride. Kuwait appreciated this support as it sought to regain and restore its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
"The stance of the international community back then was a live demonstration of the concept of collective peace and security, realization of which is the fundamental mission of the UN as a body." The State of Kuwait, in gratitude for this stance, spares no opportunity to support UN activities, and most particularly in the fields of peace building and security efforts, as well as all development, humane action, and financial action initiatives, the official remarked
-- Since establishment of the UN Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM) in 1993 till end of its mandate in 2003, Kuwait funded two thirds of its budget, which comes to about USD 300 million, to enable the UN body to meet its objectives.
Kuwait also presents voluntary contributions such as a donation to the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, pays its dues on time, and does so without any preconditions. It hosts a UN office to assist operations in Iraq, and another to assist with operations in Afghanistan. The state provides all logistic support needed to both offices, the diplomat stressed.
When it comes to development efforts, Al-Etaibi pointed out that Kuwait goes beyond supporting UN bodies and agencies to doubling its voluntary contributions in certain funds to as much as five-fold the original.
The state puts ample focus on the region, and extended such contributions as the USD 300 million aimed at reduction of poverty in Africa through the Islamic Development Bank, an Amiri gesture of a donation of USD 500 million for the fund to support small and medium projects in the Arab region and combat unemployment and poverty, as well as many other contributions.
The diplomat also addressed diplomatic action over the past 20 years. He told KUNA there had been many achievements, listing as example the doubling of the number of Kuwaiti missions abroad, in an effort to bolster strong relations with the international community.
Kuwait opened embassies in Mexico, Chile, and Cuba after the premier's Caribbean and Latin America tour last year. The state now has some 90 embassies and diplomatic missions, the ambassador said.
The next step for Kuwait is to have Kuwaiti officials in senior posts within the UN and other regional and international organizations, he said, and there is a great number of well-qualified Kuwaitis for such a step.
In the economic sphere, the ambassador noted that Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development extend ed loans to 100 countries since establishment in 1961.
The state is also keen on signing agreements and honoring obligations in view of such agreements with countries and specialized organizations. Most of agreements are implemented except for a few currently under consideration for means of implementation, such as agreements relating to the effort to stem funding of terrorism, international agreements on countering nuclear terrorism, and an agreement on people with special needs.
"The UN is indispensible in the effort to counter current challenge and difficulties facing the international community," such as terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, climate change, and development goals such as curbing poverty, Al-Etaibi stressed.
"We therefore believe there is a great need for a body like the UN to coordinate and unify policies and channel efforts to meet our objectives, and the body should accordingly be maintained and preserved as a multilateral mechanism and its c harter respected and upheld, along with international law.
