Kuwait signs MoU to join Shanghai Cooperation Organization as dialogue partner
NEW DELHI, May 6: The State of Kuwait signed an MoU to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a dialogue partner. The signing took place on the sidelines of the meeting of SCO foreign ministers meeting held on May 4-5 in Panaji city of western Indian state of Goa. In an exclusive statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Kuwait Ambassador in New Delhi Jassim Al- Najem said that Kuwait’s joining of SCO as a dialogue partner is the first step towards joining the organization as a full member in the future.
This move is in line with Kuwait’s key foreign policy objectives, because trade, economic cooperation, global supply chain and food and energy security are among the areas that Kuwait attaches great importance to. He stressed that the accession of some Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as dialogue partners to the SCO confirms the growing importance of the organization. Kuwait’s joining in the SCO will enable it to play a greater role in cementing cooperation among Asian countries. He stated that Kuwait’s goals in enhancing internal and external security are in line with the goals of the SCO and it seeks to benefit from the experience of the organization’s members to address global issues, and it is keen to participate in anti-terrorism strategies. He added that Kuwait stresses the role of institutions and individuals around the world in enhancing food security and stopping hunger in various countries. As part of Kuwait’s contribution to alleviating the disruption of global supply chains and the food and energy insecurity that humanity faces due to the Covid pandemic and regional conflicts, Kuwaiti leadership has worked and is still working with a group of partners in the region to build flexible supply chains and address food and energy crises, he said.
Ambassador Al-Najem thanked Secretary-General of the SCO Zhang Ming in a speech he delivered after signing the MoU and granting Kuwait the status of a dialogue partner in the organization, explaining Kuwait’s aspiration to work with SCO to achieve security and stability in the region. The SCO is an intergovernmental organization established in Shanghai on June 15, 2001 and currently consists of eight member states including Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and India, and four observer states including Afghanistan, Iran, Belarus and Mongolia. It is the largest regional organization in the world in terms of area and population. It aims to build a multicentric global system consistent with the rules of international law and the principles of mutual respect that meet the interests of each country and taking into account their mutual needs and aspirations. The UAE, the Maldives and Myanmar have signed MoUs to join the organization as dialogue partners. (KUNA)
