Tue - Oct 15 - 2019
News Summary Report EXTERNAL RELATIONS
Kuwait’s Cabinet Discuss Arab League Talks Over Turkish Operation in Syria
Kuwait, Oct. 14 (KUNA) – The Kuwait Cabinet, in its weekly meeting at Seif Palace on Monday, discussed the aftermath of an Arab League emergency ministerial meeting held a day earlier to discuss Turkey’s military operation in northern Syria.
The Egypt-hosted talks, attended by Kuwait’s Foreign Minister, Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, were called to examine Turkey’s ongoing military operation against Kurdish fighters in northeast Syria, he told the customary Cabinet meeting, chaired by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al- Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.
On the local front, the Cabinet was informed of Kuwait Oil Company initiative to address a sewage problem plaguing Sabah Al-Ahmad residential area, where puddles of wastewater have accumulated.
Discussing the problem, the Cabinet decided to assign various state bodies, including the Environment Public Authority and the Ministry of Public Works, with the task of remedying the issue in a month’s time.
On a related note, Kuwait’s Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Housing Dr. Jenan Ramadan spoke of ongoing infrastructure reforms after heavy rains battered the country last year.
The Cabinet has agreed to dedicate a future session on the aforementioned matter, where the executives will be discussing what measures the government has taken to repair the roads affected by the deluge, in addition to progress on major housing projects.
Turning to current happenings around the world, the Cabinet expressed profound grief after the most powerful typhoon to hit Japan in decades paralyzed the capital Tokyo, leaving millions of people evacuated and streets deserted.
On a much more cheerful note, the Cabinet congratulated Ethiopian Prime
peacemaking efforts, which ended two decades of acrimony with longtime nemesis Eritrea.
The Cabinet went on to deplore an attack on a mosque in Burkina Faso, in which gunmen skilled scores of people amid prayers on Friday evening, saying such
“terrorist acts” run counter to humanitarian principles.
KUNA
Kuwait Calls for Reinforcing Disarmament Mechanisms Worldwide
The State of Kuwait late Monday called on reinforcing mechanisms of disarmament worldwide to maintain international security and peace.
Kuwait Second Secretary Abdulmohsen Al-Asfour delivered this statement to a UN committee meeting on disarmament.
The Kuwaiti diplomat reiterated the need for continuing constructive dialogue to bolster global stability, affirming that his country was keen on collaborating with other countries and international partners to maintain efforts for disarmament.
It is alarming that certain parties within the world community are not interested in reinforcing the implementing disarmament agreements, indicated Al-Asfour who deplored some nuclear-power countries from further pursuing steps to bolster their nuclear weapons’ capabilities and arsenals.
KUNA
Kuwait’s Parliament Speaker Blames Int’l Community Silence for Israeli Crimes
National Assembly Speaker, Marzouq Al-Ghanim said on Monday that the Israeli occupation continues its crimes because of the international community’s silence towards these violations.
Al-Ghanim made the statement before the 141st Assembly of Inter-Parliamentary Union currently held in Serbia’s capital, Belgrade.
The international silence increases despair and kills hope of the region’s nations mainly the Palestinian people, he said. This might lead to an explosion of the situation and no one is immunized against its repercussions and effects, he noted.
KUNA
ECONOMY
Oil Prices Between $ 50 to $ 70 is Acceptable: Al-Fadhel
Dr. Khaled Al-Fadhel, Minister of Oil, Minister of Electricity and Water expressed his optimism of return of the prospective return of oil production in the neutral zone between Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He remarked that the high prices of crude oil will not give opportunity to oil investments.
Kuwait doesn’t pursue a certain price for oil, however, it considers oil prices in the range $ 50, 65 KD and 70 KD per barrel as acceptable prices, “even if we have ambition for more stability”, he added in a press statement on the sidelines of inaugurating Kuwait’s Fourth Oil and Gas Exhibition.
The decisions of OPEC countries are taken by consensus during the annual meetings and the decisions of Production Reduction Committee. These decisions are based on statistics and operations undertaken by the committee which studies the oil market and prices as well as countries’ commitment of those decisions, said Al-Fadhel regarding the possibility of OPEC approval.
Further, Al-Fadhel clarified that oil prices drop will cause damage to consuming countries, and will direct impact oil investments. He confirmed that there should be specific limit for prices.
As for the latest updates in Vietnam Refinery, Al-Fadhel reported that partners at Vietnam Refinery Project work in collaboration with the Kuwaiti side in order to handle all obstacles facing the refinery to get it back to work. He confirmed that the last visits of the Kuwaiti side to Vietnam led the Vietnamese side to pay $ 61 million as incentives, and also to coordinate for a visit for the Vietnamese Premier to Kuwait by the end of this month.
He pointed out that partners work seriously in order to get this refinery back to work, which stated real work since November 2018 before being appointed as a minister. He indicated that Vietnam refinery has been established previously, nd much debate was going on regarding its losses.
The minister indicated that technical and judicial committees were formed to discuss the issue of the refinery, remarking that the judicial committee has provided some recommendations and asked the oil sector to study that report and to enforce it.
As for the strategy of KNPC, Al-Fadhel said that there is a strategy, however, we’re about to review it, especially that there are some issues under discussion, which shall be announced after being arranged.
Al-Seyassah
Sessions for “Roads’ reform and Housing Developments
The Cabinet assigned local ministries, bodies, institutions and companies a timetable to put an end to the problem of water accumulation at Sabah Al-Ahmad Housing City and to deliver it to the Environment Public Authority.
Further, the Cabinet assigned Dr. Fahad Al-Afasi to coordinate with the People’s Assembly to dedicate two parts of one of the coming sessions to inform the People’s Assembly of the government’s steps to reform the damaged roads and of housing projects’ progress.
Meanwhile, engineer Ibrahim Al-Nashi, the formal speaker of the Public Authority for Housing Welfare underlined that South Khaitan Project became under the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Works (MPW).
Further, Al-Nashi said that South Saad Al-Abdullah project achieved advanced progress rates as the works of the project shall be competed on April 2020. During the 2nd quarter of the same year, building orders shall be submitted to citizens.
Al-Nashi also pointed out that the value of the PAHW reached nearly KD 1.3 billion, and that the number of applicants on South Sabah Al-Ahmad Housing City reached nearly 1600.
Al-Anbaa
CBK Issues Tawarruq-Related Bonds Worth KD 240 Million
The Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) issued, Monday, KD 240 million ($ 792 million) worth of tawarruq, said a statement.
In a statement obtained by KUNA, the CBK announced the most recent issues of bonds related to tawarruq would be for three months with rate of return of three percent.
The last issuance of such bonds by the CBK was on September 23 at KD 200 million ($ 600 million) also for a three-month period.
KUNA
Kuwait Oil Price Down to $ 61.14 pb
Kuwait oil price went down 54 cents to $ 61.14 per barrel (pb) on Monday against $ 61.68 a barrel last Friday, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) said Tuesday.
In international markets, Brent crude lost $ 1.16, settling at $ 59.35, while the West Texas shed $ 1.11 closing at $ 53.59 a barrel.
KUNA
DOMESTIC AFFAIRS
MPW Studies Privatization of Some Sectors
This Includes “the Government Center” and “Sanitary Engineering”:
Bushehri
Dr. Jenan Bushehri, Minister of Public Works and State Minister for Housing Affairs underlined that the MPW has no objection to study privatization of the Government Center, Quality Control and Researches Sector and Sanitary Engineering Affairs Sector.
Bushehri pointed out in a letter to Mariam Al-Aqeel, the State Minister for Economic Affairs, and the Chief of the Supreme Council for Privatization that there are some projects where coordination is done between the MPW and Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP).
Among those projects are Om Al-Haiman desalination project and Northern Kabad Desalination Plan according to PPP system. This is in addition to Salibiya Desalination Plant expansion project, which is done by BOT system. Therefore, the Ministry sees consideration of privatization of such sectors.
Al-Jareeda
Sources:
KUNA: http://www.kuna.net.kw/Default.aspx?language=en
Al Rai: http://www.alraimedia.com/
Kuwait Times: http://www.news.kuwaittimes.net/website/
Arab Times: http://www.arabtimesonline.com/news/
MEED: http://www.meed.com/
Al Anbaa: http://www.alanba.com.kw/newspaper
Al-Seyassa : http://al-seyassah.com/
Al-Anbaa: https://www.alanba.com.kw/newspaper/
Al-Jareeda: http://www.aljarida.com/
