News / Politics

Kuwait says respects Iran’s territorial integrity, national sovereignty

Sunday, 29 December 2019 6:24 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 30 December 2019 5:56 AM ]

Kuwait's Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled al-Jarallah (3rd R) and Iran's Ambassador to Kuwait City Mohammad Irani (L) meet on December 29, 2019. (Photo by IRNA)

Kuwait says it respects Iran’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty against the backdrop of a recent meeting between Kuwaiti officials and a representative of an anti-Iran terrorist group.

Kuwaiti Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled al-Jarallah met with Iran’s Ambassador to Kuwait City Mohammad Irani on Sunday.

Jarallah said Kuwait’s foreign policy was “based on respecting the sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs and good neighborliness,” Kuwait's official news agency KUNA reported.

The Kuwaiti official reassured the Iranian diplomat that his country respects territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic.

Jarallah pointed out that the anti-Iran meeting had taken place without permission from relevant Kuwaiti authorities, KUNA said.

Kuwaiti officials, the report added, have “begun taking necessary legal measures” over the “disappointing” affair, which was undertaken in a “private” capacity.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday summoned Kuwait’s charge d’affaires to Tehran to protest that affair.

Tehran summons Kuwait envoy to protest anti-Iran meeting

Iran’s Foreign Ministry summons Kuwait’s charge d’affaires to Tehran over a recent meeting of the Arab country

Director General for the Persian Gulf Affairs of the Iranian Foreign Ministry Alireza Enayati summoned the Kuwaiti envoy to also convey the Islamic Republic’s strong objection to the hosting by Kuwait of a conference against Iran.

The Iranian official stressed the importance of observing the principle of mutual respect in bilateral relations and said, “Such a move is clear interference in the internal affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a breach of the principle of good neighborliness as well as friendly remarks by the Kuwaiti officials.”

The Iranian Foreign Ministry did not provide any more details about the group concerned or about which Kuwaiti officials had met the representative.

The speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly, Marzouq al-Ghanim, has reportedly met with a member of the al-Ahwaziya terrorist group on the sidelines of a parliamentary conference calling for the breakaway of the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz from the country.

In a meeting with Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah in August, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif highlighted bilateral ties between the two countries, saying “foreigners” have no place in the region and have to leave.