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Consistent with the desire
of both countries to promote cooperation, the two
leaders also witnessed the signing ceremony of several
documents of cooperation between the two countries: the
Agreement for the Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of
Investment (BIT), the Agreement for the Avoidance of
Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion
with respect to Taxes on Income (DTA) and the Memorandum
of Understanding on oil and 'gas cooperation.
Signing the agreements
and MoU on behalf of His Majesty's Government was Pehin
Major General (rtd) Dato Seri Haji Mohammad, Minister of
Energy at the Prime Minister's Office.
The Kuwait side was
represented by Mustafa Jassem Al-Shaman, Minister of
Finance and Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah,
Minister of Oil.
Earlier, welcoming His
Majesty at the Amiri Terminal, Kuwait International
Airport was His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber
Al-Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait. Also present at
the airport to greet His Majesty were His Highness
Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Crown
Prince of Kuwait; Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AI-Sabah,
Deputy Chief of National Guard; other members of the
Kuwaiti royal family and state dignitaries, as well as
members of the Kuwaiti government, who were later
introduced to His Majesty.
Following this, members
of the official delegation of Brunei Darussalam were
introduced to His Highness the Emir of Kuwait.
Also present at the
airport was Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Jaberudin bin
Pengiran Haji Mohd Salleh, Non-Resident Ambassador of
Brunei Darussalam to Kuwait.
The official welcoming
ceremony of His Majesty's State Visit was held at the
Amiri Terminal, Kuwait International Airport. His
Majesty the Sultan and His Highness the Emir were led to
a special dais to take the salute of the guard of honour
mounted by the Emir's guard. After the national anthems
of both countries were played, His Majesty together with
His Highness inspected the honour guard.
Following this, Sheikh
Khaled Abdullah Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah, Chief PfEmiri
Protocol and Chamberlain of the State of Kuwait
introduced Kuwait's Cabinet Ministers, advisors,
Governors, senior aides and dean of the diplomatic corps
to His Majesty.
His Majesty and His
Highness then travelled together in a convoy to the
Bayan Palace, where His Majesty would be staying.
In the afternoon, His
Majesty attended a briefing on the economic development
and investment in Kuwait by Bader Mohammad Al-Saad,
Managing Director of Kuwait Investment Authority. The
briefing was held at Bayan Palace.
The visit, which is at
the invitation of His Highness the Emir, serves to
further enhance relations between the two countries.
This is the second State Visit by His Majesty to Kuwait,
the first being in February 1994.
Earlier on Sunday,
Kuwait's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
and Brunei's Civil Aviation signed an agreement on
opening their respective airspace and liberalisation of
air transport between the two countries.
Under the deal, the
Kuwaiti air carrier will be able to use the Brunei
International Airport, fly any number of flights and use
it as a transit point to destinations beyond Brunei.
Hailing the deal,
Fawwaz Al-Faraj, DGCA chief and head of Kuwait's
delegation to the just-ended talks, said it renewed a
previous bilateral agreement that used to regulate the
air transport services between the State of Kuwait and
Brunei.
"The deal is part of
Kuwait's open sky policy towards various countries of
the world which aims to link the Kuwait International
Airport to the network of international airports," he
said.
"It will further
enhance the friendly ties between the two countries and
open new opportunities to Kuwaiti air carriers. It will
also facilitate the movement of passengers and cargo,
thus enhancing the commercial tics between the two
countries," Al-Faraj added.
Trade and economic ties
between Brunei and Kuwait were bolstered with the
signing of two agreements in July last year during the
visit by the Prime Minister of Kuwait, His Highness
Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
The two oil-rich nations also signed a memorandum of
understanding.
The three documents
comprised an Agreement on Economic and Technical
Cooperation, Trade and a Memorandum of Understanding.
Last year's talk between the senior officials of both
countries touched on investment, particularly on
cooperation between the Kuwait Investment Authority and
its Brunei counterpart.
The Kuwait delegation
was briefed on a number of future projects that Brunei
was planning, the scope of Kuwait Investment Authority
and Kuwait's private sector contributions to these
projects.
Cooperation in the oil
and gas sector was also touched, paving the way for
discussions between Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and
Brunei authorities to discuss investment opportunities
in this vital sector.
News on the monarch's
visit appeared on the front page of the Kuwait Times
yesterday. The first Kuwait Ambassador to the country,
Ghassan Mohammed Abdurrahman presented his credentials
to His Majesty late October last year.
Brunei and the
Sultanate of Oman also held a bilateral meeting, .10'"
meeting held last year, which included cooperation in
training and education. The bilateral meeting was
established in 1993 to enhance ties.
Oman was among the
first countries to establish diplomatic ties with
Brunei- and opened its embassy in the capital, just
after the coil-buys independence in 1984. There have
also been a number of exchanges of visits at the
ministerial level between the two countries. --
Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
Related
News:
His Majesty
Arrives In Kuwait |
