1. society
2. unrest and war

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2015
LOCAL
Sisi promises less red tape for prospective investors
Egyptian president concludes ‘historic visit’ to Kuwait
KUWAIT/CAIRO: Egyptian President
Abdelfatah Al-Sisi noted in a meeting yesterday with the Kuwaiti media his country’s penchant for encouraging Kuwaiti investments in
Egypt through, among other things, reducing
sharply red tape or any existing impediments
that might stand in the way of Kuwaiti
investors.
In a meeting with Acting Chairman and
Director General of Kuwait News Agency
(KUNA) Abdul-Hameed Malek and editors-inchief of Kuwaiti newspapers, President Sisi
stressed that his country had put in place a
special approach or procedure to assist
investors in concluding their applications for
investment in Egypt in a matter of days.
The Egyptian president applauded the
great role played by His Highness the Amir
Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in
promoting amity and harmony among Arab
states and in filtering out differences among
them.
President Sisi extolled the “firm and historic” ties between his country and Kuwait,
and emphasized the imperative that all Arab
countries strive for joint Arab work and cooperation. He considered that the stability of
Egypt reflected directly on that of the Arab
region and underlined the importance of the
economic conference Egypt was organizing in
March in the city of Sharm El-Sheikh for the
purpose of attracting Arab and foreign investments in his country.
The president emphasized the role the
media and youth play in Arab societies, saying
the media helped in disseminating stability in
the region, and the youth offered energy,
knowledge, and enthusiasm as building
blocks for a progressive and prosperous Arab
society.
KUNA’s Acting Director General and
Editors-in-Chief of the Kuwaiti newspapers
praised the visit of the Egyptian President as
one that would boost security, peace, and stability in the region and lauded the great
progress Egypt has achieved in the last six
months since President Sisi assumed the reins
of power.
Same views
President Sisi concluded yesterday a twoday official visit to Kuwait where he held talks
with HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah.
He was seen off at the airport by HH the
Amir, HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-
Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, National Assembly
Speaker Ali Al-Ghanem, Deputy Chairman of
the National Guard Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad
Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, HH the Prime Minister
Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah,
First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign
Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad AlSabah, Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs
Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah and several other
ministers and senior officials of the army,
police and National Guard.
Before leaving, the Egyptian president said
that he and HH the Amir shared the same
views on “hot issues” in the region, primarily
Libya, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. “There were also
identical views on economic and investment
dossiers and the attraction of more investments to Egypt,” Sisi was quoted by Egypt’s
official news agency (MENA) as telling
reporters accompanying him during his visit
to Kuwait.
He said the significance of his visit to
Kuwait is due to the fact that “Egypt shares
concerns with other Arab countries which are
in trouble at present”. “Now, we need to stand
united as one group in the context of unifying
Arab ranks in face of risks, and we are able to
do so,” Sisi said. He pointed out that his visit to
Kuwait as well as foreign tours in general give
a message to the outside world that “Egypt
has regained its position in the region”.
‘Productive’ meeting
President Sisi also received Chairman of the
Arab and International Relations Council
Jassim Al-Sager and Board members of the
Kuwaiti-Egyptian relations council. Following
the meeting, the board members described
their meeting with Sisi as “productive,” as they
discussed many common matters in the
realms of trade, security and investment.
The council’s board members agreed that
their meeting with the Egyptian President was
positive and focused on attracting more
investment to Egypt from Kuwait and other
Arab countries. “Egypt is a promising country
for investment,” the members expressed,
adding that the Egyptian President is working
on facilitating investment regulations for foreigners, especially the Kuwaitis.
Meanwhile, Sager pointed out that the
Kuwaiti-Egyptian relations council was established to promote bilateral ties and it was suggested by the Egyptian Minister of Industry
and Foreign Trade Munir Abdelnour in his
recent visit to the State of Kuwait.
Stronger relations
Sisi began his visit Monday - his first to
Kuwait since becoming president. The visit
was seen as a change to boost bilateral relations and cooperation as Egypt is set to take
over the Arab Summit presidency from Kuwait
in March. Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan
Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah said in a statement
talks between Sisi and Kuwaiti leaders dealt
with ways of boosting bilateral relations and
cooperation, as well as issues of common
interest. Following the summit talks, HH the
Amir decorated Al-Sisi with the Order of
Mubarak Al-Kabeer in appreciation of the
Egyptian leader and people.
The Egyptian leader, accompanied by
Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri, Minister of Oil
and Mineral Wealth Sherif Ismail, Minister of
International Cooperation Najlaa Al-Ahwani
and Minister of Investment Ashraf Salman, had
already started high-level meetings with
Kuwaiti officials at the beginning of his twoday visit. The Egyptian leader, meanwhile, met
with President of the Kuwait Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Ali Mohammad
Thunayan Al-Ghanem, who was accompanied
by KCCI board members. The President’s visit
was described following the meeting to be
“within the framework of efforts exerted by
Egypt to promote joint Arab action and the
development of relations between the Arab
countries.” Sisi will also meet with Egyptian
businessmen in order to strengthen economic
relations between the two countries.
First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign
Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled had said AlSisi’s visit to Kuwait would open future
prospects of bilateral relations, describing it as
“very important to complete what the country
started in both regional and international
issues.”
Brotherly visit
Meanwhile, two leading Egyptian newspapers published yesterday stressed the importance of the Egyptian President’s brotherly visit to Kuwait. Al-Ahram newspaper said that
President Sisi’s visit to Kuwait is a historical
event in the bilateral ties between both countries, and it reflects the president’s deep concern of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
countries’ security, which he considers part of
the Egyptian national security.
Egypt’s bid to fight terrorism through its
intellectual wisdom tops the President’s agenda during his current visit, the newspaper said.
Egyptian President Abdelfatah Al-Sisi during his meeting with editors-in-chief of Kuwaiti newspapers yesterday.
— KUNA photos
KUWAIT: Egyptian President Abdelfatah Al-Sisi is seen off at the airport by His Highness
the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
It shed light on the Arab nation’s agreement
on a regional plan to face terrorism and
uproots its funding sources.
Sisi greatly appreciates Kuwait’s support of
June 30th revolution, and later to its “road
map” politically and economically, recalling
Kuwait’s great role in the reconciliation
between Egypt and Qatar, it said.
Kuwait’s announced its participation in the
economic and Arab summits to be held in
Egypt next March, as it considers Egypt a great
country which always bears the Arab world’s
concerns, Al-Ahram newspaper said.
The official talks between Sisi and HH the
Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah that took place yesterday were of high
importance where they contributed to boosting bilateral ties at all levels, Al-Gomhoria
newspaper said. This visit is a part of a series
of other visits of President Al-Sisi to various
Arab and African countries, as a step to
reflect the return of the Egyptian key role in
sustaining the regions’ stability and security,
it added. — KUNA
Sisi in a group photo with board members of the Arab and International Relations Council.
KUWAIT: In celebration of Christmas, a Holy Mass was celebrated at the Armenian Church Kuwait - Salmiya yesterday, attended by Armenian
Ambassador to Kuwait Fadey Charchoghlyan and Ambassador of Lebanon to Kuwait Khodr Helweh. The Armenian Church is located in Salmiya
since the 1960s. Armenian orthodox celebrate Christmas on January 7 every year, as fifth century AD Christians celebrated Christmas, Baptism
and Epiphany on that date. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat
NBK sponsors Kuwait
University’s Finance Club
KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK)
sponsors the Finance Club of the Faculty of
Business Administration in Kuwait
University.
NBK is sponsoring the Finance Club
activities for the whole year including students’ participation in a training course in
London on financial analysis.
“NBK’s sponsorship and support to the
Finance Club comes in line with the Bank’s
commitment to Corporate Social
Responsibility as well as the vital role it
plays in supporting all students, youths and
educational initiatives,” said NBK Public
Relations Manager, Abdul Mohsen AlRushaid.
Rushaid added “NBK is committed to
supporting youths and empowering them
to realize their potentials. NBK provides
career and training opportunities to
encourage youths to assume roles and
obtain the required tools to create an environment ripe for their leadership.”
NBK Annually promotes a range of educational initiatives as part of its Corporate
Social Responsibility. In addition to sponsoring student’s clubs at the university, NBK
offers many training programs including
NBK Academy, Shabab program and the
Summer Internship Program.
The Finance Club at Kuwait University
is a non-profit club that seeks to serve
and help business administration students at the university. The club helps in
advancing the interests of business
administration students vocationally and
academically. It aims at presenting a clear
view of activities through providing lection and seminars, or participating in
exhibitions and conventions.