President S R Nathan, who is currently in Kuwait on a State Visit, called on his host, Amir of the State of Kuwait His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, on 4 November 2008. Before the meeting, President Nathan was accorded a Ceremonial Welcome at the Seif Palace in Kuwait City. Besides being an opportunity to renew their long-standing relationship, the leaders had a wide-ranging exchange of views. Sheikh Sabah expressed his and his people's deep appreciation for Singapore standing by Kuwait and our firm support following the Iraqi invasion. He said that that bond was the foundation on which our bilateral relations were built.
Their discussions also touched on issues such as the prevailing global financial turmoil, developments in the Middle East and the importance of seriously pursuing inter-faith dialogue and Kuwait's support for the forthcoming meeting of leaders convening in New York under United Nations auspices. They reaffirmed the excellent state of Singapore-Kuwait relations and expressed confidence that bilateral cooperation would continue to expand into new areas. Sheikh Sabah asked his Ministers to take advantage of the presence of the Singapore delegation to hold mutually beneficial discussions.
Following the call on Sheikh Sabah, President Nathan and Sheikh Sabah witnessed the signing of three agreements, namely the Agreement on Establishing a Joint Committee for Co-operation, the Memorandum of Understanding on Co-operation in E-Government, and the Memorandum of Understanding on Air Services.
Sheikh Sabah will host a State Banquet for President Nathan and the Singapore delegation this evening.
. . . . .
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
4 NOVEMBER 2008