Abu Dhabi, September 3 / WAM / His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, chaired today in Abu Dhabi the fifth session of the Supreme Joint Committee between the United Arab Emirates and the State of Kuwait, while the Kuwaiti side was chaired by His Excellency Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al Yahya, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the sisterly State of Kuwait.

Attending the Supreme Joint Committee meeting were His Excellency Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure; His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; His Excellency Dr. Ahmed bin Abdullah Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports; His Excellency Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of Culture; Her Excellency Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of Education; His Excellency Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State; and a number of senior officials from both countries.

At the start of his speech, His Highness welcomed His Excellency the Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs, affirming that the convening of the fifth session of the Joint Committee reflects the depth of fraternal relations between the two brotherly countries, established by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, hand in hand, with his brother Sheikh Sabah Al Salem Al Sabah, and his brother Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah, may God have mercy on them.

His Highness said: 'With full resolve and determination, we continue today to advance the march of cooperation and joint work under the leadership and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, and his brother His Highness Sheikh Mishal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait.'

His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan affirmed that 'what most distinguishes the UAE-Kuwait relations and their continuous development are the social and cultural ties that unite the two brotherly peoples, including bonds of brotherhood and friendship, and the unity of heritage, history, and shared values,' adding: 'We will continue to strengthen and build upon this interconnectedness to achieve further progress and shared prosperity in various fields.'

His Highness also affirmed that the UAE has always regarded and continues to regard its sister Kuwait as a strategic partner in all fields, and an integral part of the progress and prosperity of the Arabian Gulf and the entire region.

His Highness added: 'Our non-oil bilateral trade has witnessed remarkable growth over the past years, reaching its highest historical levels in 2023, with a total value exceeding $12 billion.'

His Highness affirmed: 'We constantly look forward to expanding the base of our partnerships with our brothers in Kuwait, including the sectors of industry, trade, renewable energy, transport, and infrastructure.'

His Highness also affirmed that the UAE believes in the necessity of cooperation with our brothers and key partners within various international institutions and multilateral platforms.

His Highness added: 'Accordingly, we look forward to continuing mutual support for the nominations of the two brotherly countries in global institutions and forums, in addition to enhancing our partnerships at the multilateral level.'

His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said: 'The UAE affirms its supportive position regarding the Durra field and the ownership of natural resources in the submerged area divided adjacent to the Saudi-Kuwaiti divided zone, including the entire Durra field; they are joint ownership only between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Kuwait, and they alone have full rights to exploit the natural resources in that area, in accordance with the provisions of international law and based on the agreements concluded and in force between them.'

At the conclusion of his speech, His Highness thanked all participants in the committee, wishing his brother His Excellency Abdullah Ali Al Yahya and the accompanying delegation a pleasant stay in the UAE.

Subsequently, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and His Excellency Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the sisterly State of Kuwait, signed the minutes of the fifth session of the Supreme Joint Committee between the UAE and Kuwait. His Highness also witnessed the signing of 8 memoranda of understanding and executive programs between the two brotherly countries.

The memoranda of understanding and executive programs included the following:

- A memorandum of understanding between the government of the United Arab Emirates and the government of the State of Kuwait on cooperation in the field of infrastructure, signed by His Excellency Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, and His Excellency Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs.

- A memorandum of understanding between the government of the United Arab Emirates and the government of the State of Kuwait on cooperation in the field of standardization activities, signed by His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and His Excellency Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs.

- A memorandum of understanding between the government of the United Arab Emirates and the government of the State of Kuwait on cooperation in the field of communications and information technology, signed by His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and His Excellency Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs.

- The executive program for educational cooperation between the government of the United Arab Emirates and the government of the State of Kuwait for the years 2024-2027, signed by Her Excellency Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of Education, and His Excellency Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs.

- The executive program between the government of the United Arab Emirates and the government of the State of Kuwait in the field of sports for the years 2024-2026, signed by His Excellency Dr. Ahmed bin Abdullah Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports, and His Excellency Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs.

- The executive program for cultural cooperation between the government of the United Arab Emirates and the government of the State of Kuwait for the years 2024-2026, signed by His Excellency Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of Culture, and His Excellency Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs.

- A memorandum of understanding between the government of the UAE, represented by the Cybersecurity Council, and the government of the State of Kuwait, represented by the National Center for Cybersecurity, signed by His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Hamad Al Kuwaiti, Head of the Cybersecurity Council of the UAE government, and His Excellency Major General Engineer Staff Pilot / Mohammed Abdulaziz Buarki, Head of the National Center for Cybersecurity in Kuwait.

- A memorandum of understanding between the UAE Ministry of Defense / the United Arab Emirates represented by EDGE Group Holding and the Kuwait Ministry of Defense / the State of Kuwait on defense procurement and industries, signed by His Excellency Hamad Mohammed Al Marar, Managing Director and CEO of EDGE Group, and His Excellency Major General Staff Pilot (Navy) Faisal Khalifa Saif, Head of the Armament and Equipment Authority.

Prior to the start of the Supreme Joint Committee proceedings, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a meeting with His Excellency Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, during which they discussed the deep-rooted fraternal relations and avenues of bilateral cooperation between the two brotherly countries, and exchanged views on a range of issues of mutual interest.

His Highness hosted a dinner banquet in honor of His Excellency Abdullah Ali Abdullah Al Yahya, Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the accompanying delegation.