News / National
Mugabe in Kuwait for Arab-Africa Summit
19 Nov 2013 at 03:43hrs | Views
PRESIDENT Mugabe arrived here in Kuwait yesterday for the third Arab-African Summit, albeit a delay in landing due to bad weather that affected the country in the afternoon.
A storm hit Kuwait in the afternoon and visibility was low, thereby affecting the landing and taking off of flights. It took more than an hour for the plane to land at Kuwait International Airport.
President Mugabe who left Singapore yesterday morning would be joining 65 world leaders for the summit which is being held outside Africa for the first time. Egypt and Libya hosted the previous two summits.
President Mugabe was welcomed at Kuwait International Airport by the Emir of Kuwait, Sheik Shabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah, senior Kuwait officials, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Zimbabwe's ambassadors to Kuwait and Ethiopia, Ambassadors Mark Marongwe and Andrew Mtetwa respectively.
He proceeded to inspect a guard of honour mounted by the Kuwait Royal Guard. The Arab-African summit which would be held at Bayan Palace is beginning today and ends tomorrow.
It is being held under the theme: "Partners in Trade and Development" and is expected to strengthen relations between the two regions especially on the economic front.
The summit is expected to discuss the establishment of an Afro-Arab preferential trade zone. It is also expected to come out with recommendations that could help the developing African nations cope with the current economic crisis.
In an earlier interview with Kuwait News Agency, Ambassador Marongwe, said given the geographical, historical and cultural ties of the member-states of the two regions, nine of the 22 members of the Arab League are also members of the African Union.
"We believe the initiative by Kuwait to host the summit will further strengthen relations between Arab and African regions, especially on economic co-operation through various donor institutions created by the Arab region to spearhead development such as the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.
"The summit will enhance co-operation between these two regions," he said.
The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development operates in 48 African countries and provides development assistance through funding projects in agriculture, transport, energy, water, sanitation, health and education.
So far, US$6 billion has been spent in financing these projects.
Zimbabwe and Kuwait enjoy cordial relationships dating back to the early 1990s after Kuwait established its embassy in Harare in 1992 and Zimbabwe followed suit a few years later.
Political co-operation has been on-going since 1990 during the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq when Zimbabwe spoke strongly against the invasion. Zimbabwe was the president of the United Nations Security Council.
A storm hit Kuwait in the afternoon and visibility was low, thereby affecting the landing and taking off of flights. It took more than an hour for the plane to land at Kuwait International Airport.
President Mugabe who left Singapore yesterday morning would be joining 65 world leaders for the summit which is being held outside Africa for the first time. Egypt and Libya hosted the previous two summits.
President Mugabe was welcomed at Kuwait International Airport by the Emir of Kuwait, Sheik Shabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah, senior Kuwait officials, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Zimbabwe's ambassadors to Kuwait and Ethiopia, Ambassadors Mark Marongwe and Andrew Mtetwa respectively.
He proceeded to inspect a guard of honour mounted by the Kuwait Royal Guard. The Arab-African summit which would be held at Bayan Palace is beginning today and ends tomorrow.
It is being held under the theme: "Partners in Trade and Development" and is expected to strengthen relations between the two regions especially on the economic front.
The summit is expected to discuss the establishment of an Afro-Arab preferential trade zone. It is also expected to come out with recommendations that could help the developing African nations cope with the current economic crisis.
In an earlier interview with Kuwait News Agency, Ambassador Marongwe, said given the geographical, historical and cultural ties of the member-states of the two regions, nine of the 22 members of the Arab League are also members of the African Union.
"We believe the initiative by Kuwait to host the summit will further strengthen relations between Arab and African regions, especially on economic co-operation through various donor institutions created by the Arab region to spearhead development such as the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development.
"The summit will enhance co-operation between these two regions," he said.
The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development operates in 48 African countries and provides development assistance through funding projects in agriculture, transport, energy, water, sanitation, health and education.
So far, US$6 billion has been spent in financing these projects.
Zimbabwe and Kuwait enjoy cordial relationships dating back to the early 1990s after Kuwait established its embassy in Harare in 1992 and Zimbabwe followed suit a few years later.
Political co-operation has been on-going since 1990 during the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq when Zimbabwe spoke strongly against the invasion. Zimbabwe was the president of the United Nations Security Council.
Source - herald
