The Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs has refuted reports that the country’s Foreign Minister, Sheikh Salem Abdullah al-Jaber al-Sabah, is scheduled to visit the Assad regime in Damascus next Thursday. In a statement, the ministry emphasized that the reports published by local newspapers and agencies regarding the minister’s visit were untrue. The ministry also stressed the importance of accurate reporting to avoid rumours and misinformation and urged people to rely on official and reliable sources of information.
This follows the publication by the Kuwaiti newspaper, al-Qabas, of an article claiming that Sheikh Salem al-Abdullah would be visiting Damascus next Thursday as part of the ongoing process of normalizing Arab relations, which began months ago. The article also mentioned that the Saudi Foreign Minister is due to visit Damascus on Tuesday – the first visit of its kind in years. However, the newspaper later deleted the article from its website and social media accounts without providing any reasons.
According to the newspaper, a government source confirmed to al-Qabas that Sabah would visit Damascus next Thursday in light of recent conciliatory developments in the region and Arab openness towards restoring relations with Syria. The foreign minister recently reiterated Kuwait’s principled stance of preserving Syria’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity following the Gulf-Arab meeting held in Jeddah last Friday.
Sabah considers Syria an important Arab country and a key pillar of the Arab national security system. He acknowledged Syria’s contributions throughout history in enriching human civilization and stressed the importance of the Syrian people as brotherly people. At the informal consultations session hosted by Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan in Jeddah on Monday, Sabah reiterated Kuwait’s principled position of preserving Syria’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity while rejecting any interference in its internal affairs.
Sabah highlighted the ongoing Syrian crisis, which has entered its thirteenth year, causing security, political, economic, and humanitarian repercussions for Syria, its neighbouring countries, and the region. He expressed concern about regional and international interventions in Syrian affairs, destabilizing regional security and stability and providing fertile ground for terrorist and extremist groups and drug trafficking.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
