Secretary of State Antony Blinken and HH The Emir of the State of Kuwait – Picture by State Department.
28-29 July 2021, Kuwait City, State of Kuwait: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid a visit to Kuwait in order to solidify personal ties to the country’s novel leadership and to mark the 60th jubilee of diplomatic relations between the two states.
Blinken encountered His Highness the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah, HH The Crown Prince, Lt. Gen. Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al Sabah, Prime Minister, HH Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al Sabah, Speaker of the National Assembly Sheikh Marzouq Al Ghanem, as well as Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al Sabah to continue discussions on military cooperation, growing bilateral opportunities for trade and investment, expanded educational and cultural exchanges, advancing regional security and human rights, and other issues underscoring the importance of our 60 years of diplomatic ties.
Some facts of Kuwait-U.S. American ties
- Kuwait is a major non-NATO ally of the United States. Kuwait and the United States are parties to a bilateral Defense Cooperation Agreement, and U.S. forces are located at various bases in Kuwait. The United States supports Kuwait’s continued efforts to modernize the Kuwaiti armed forces, and to increase interoperability with U.S. and allied forces.
- Nearly 10,000 Kuwaitis studied at U.S. universities and English language institutes in the 2019–2020 academic year, the third-largest number of students from the Middle East/North Africa region.
- Bilateral trade reached $4.5 billion in 2019. We support a transparent regulatory framework and processes to attract businesses and foreign direct investment to Kuwait, including from the United States.
- The United States is helping Kuwait create a strong cybersecurity framework, transparent data security, and policies to help attract trusted global telecommunications and information technology companies.
- Kuwait and the United States belong to several of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, and World Trade Organization. Kuwait is a participant in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Istanbul Cooperation Initiative.
- Kuwait participates in several intergovernmental organizations related to counterterrorism including the Global Counterterrorism Forum, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. Kuwait is also a member of the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.
For further information
Source – U.S. State Department: https://www.state.gov/secretary-blinken-travels-to-kuwait-to-advance-regional-security-and-economic-ties/
Embassy of the State of Kuwait in the U.S.A. (HE Ambassador Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al Sabah): http://www.kuwaitembassy.us/in-the-news/kuwait-us-discuss-bolstering-bilateral-relations, http://www.kuwaitembassy.us/in-the-news/secretary-blinken-kuwait-showed-great-leadership-in-managing-regional-crises
