ASSALAMU ALAIKUM WA RAHMATULLAH WA BARAKATUH.
Dear Friends,
On this joyous occasion of our National Day and Liberation Day, I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to the friendly people of Bangladesh.
As we commemorate the glorious independence of our country with the termination of the protectorate status under the 1899 Analo-Kuwait agreement, I would like to recall here the selfless contributions and sacrifices of all those patriotic sons of the soil who ensured that Kuwait will evolve into a prosperous and modern country.
My Friends, under the wise and pragmatic leadership of His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Kuwait continues to make strides in its pursuit of economic prosperity on one hand and in its pursuit of global peace and prosperity on the other.
As we step into our 56th year of independence, I would like to pay special tributes to the benevolent leadership of Kuwait and to the resilient people of Kuwait for the concerted efforts in putting Kuwait in the world map. Indeed, what Kuwait is today, is due to the enduring traits of its people, shaped by the confluence of the Arabian Gulf, the romanticism of the desert and the endowment of oil resource.
This Kuwaiti characteristic is further molded by the strong religious faith and I am proud to say that all these have imbued the traits of benevolence, empathy and humanitarian feelings and brotherhood in the Kuwaitis.
It is indeed a matter of great pride that this act of caring and benevolent sharing is practiced both by the State and its people according to their respective capacities.
The Government channels all its State to State assistance funding through the Kuwait Fund.
The Fund has so far provided 926 loans to 106 countries amounting to around KD 19 billion. Bangladesh received over US $ 522 million in assistance for 23 projects till date.
Kuwait is an ardent exponent of people to people relationship and individual Kuwaitis share their wealth with less fortunate people around the world. Most of these are acts of charity and are sent through Kuwaiti NGOs. These NGOs have spent more than US $ 500 million in Bangladesh for improving the living standard of the vulnerable people in Bangladesh.
My Friends, the recent visit to Bangladesh by His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mobarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait opened new vistas of cooperation between our two friendly countries.
The visit also paved the way for enterprising Bangladeshi entrepreneurs to invest in Kuwait either through joint venture or through 100% ownership.
Bangladeshi investors can use Kuwait as the hub to reach out to the GCC market. This will promote two way trades between our two countries as well as generate more employments for Bangladeshis in Kuwait.
So far there are over 200,000 strong Bangladeshi expatriate community in Kuwait and I am happy to note that the number is going up since I took up my assignment here. On this note, I would like to express my profound appreciation and gratitude to the Bangladeshi diaspora in Kuwait for their commendable contribution to the development of Kuwait.
In reciprocity, Kuwait has always been in the forefront in standing by Bangladesh in its hours of need. We are a proud partner of Bangladesh in its march to progress and prosperity.
Friends, in its pursuit of diplomacy as a means of promoting peace and stability globally, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, our sagacious Amir envisions a world of peaceful coexistence, tolerance and amity and stresses passionately in upholding the principles of respecting the territorial integrity, sovereignty of all countries. It is from this perspective, Kuwait like Bangladesh, has taken a principled stand against terrorism and violent extremism.
Our two friendly countries share common perception of the new world order and Kuwait pursues a proactive foreign policy based on rationality and practicality, particularly in the Gulf region as a facilitator and promoter of peace and friendship.
Friends, under the changed circumstances in a world fraught with conflicts, instability and environmental hazards, a pursuit of vigorous socio-economic interaction and connectivity are strong confidence building measures scaffolding bridges of friendship and cooperation.
The Kuwaiti leadership actively pursues this long cherished vision which is a cornerstone of our foreign policy.
In the context of strengthening and expanding this bridge of friendly cooperation and economic interaction between our two countries, I would be happy to facilitate the efforts of Bangladeshi business houses interested in investing in Kuwait.
I take this opportunity of expressing my profound appreciation and gratitude to the friendly people and Government of Bangladesh for their warm hospitality.
Long live Kuwait-Bangladesh friendship.
