[20/November/2009]

KUWAIT, Nov 20 (Saba)- His Highness the Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah is going to pay a two-day official visit to Iran on Saturday, leading a high-level delegation, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported on Friday.

The visit, which comes at the invitation of Iran's First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, aims to further promote and cement historical relations between Kuwait and Iran.

Relations between both friendly nations are a model for vital and dynamic ties among countries; which were initially based on economy and trade but then developed to cover other fields, including politics, security and culture.
In pre-independence, exactly the forties and fifties, the economic factor was the main element for people-to-people Kuwaiti-Iranian relations through trade exchange between both countries' seaports, together with transit trade that used to be flourishing between both sides on the banks of the Gulf.

Politically, Iran was in the forefront of those countries that recognized the State of Kuwait following its independence in 1961, having then opened an embassy in Kuwait in January 1962.

Kuwaiti-Iranian relations experienced an up-and-down situation until 1990 when Iraq invaded Kuwait, having ushered in a fresh stage of bilateral ties.
From the very beginning, Iran rejected the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait and called for an unconditional Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait, and informed the UN that it would abide by the UN Security Council Resolution No 661 that stated an all-out boycott of Iraq.

Bilateral bonds were positively influenced by the Iranian position following the liberation of Kuwait, having worked together to strengthen and consolidate political, economic and security bonds.

The visit by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Kuwait in February 2006 and his talks with HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on bilateral relations are a clear-cut proof of deep relations between both friendly nations.

During this visit, the Iranian leader hailed Iranian-Kuwaiti relations as "good".
Economically, trade exchange increased from around USD 7.5 million in 1991 up o USD 23.5 million in 1997, and then up to USD 180 million in 2003.
Kuwait imports fruits, vegetables, nuts, carpets and building materials from Iran, while exporting to Tehran iron, steel, electric equipment and urea.
In October 1999, they signed a free trade cooperation agreement, aiming to facilitate the movement of goods by sea.

In January 2000, they inked a memo of understanding on two-way trade. In January 2001, they signed a bilateral cooperative deal in the manpower field, social affairs and vocational training.

In January 2008, during the visit by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah to Iran, a bilateral double taxation avoidance deal was hammered out.

In March 2005, both countries hammered out an initial protocol for Iran's gas export to Kuwait in a deal worth USD seven billion, under which Kuwait is supposed to get 300 million cubic meters of natural gas from Iran on a daily basis for 25 years.

But, although the deal has not been put in place yet, it is an important step of bilateral cooperation.

In terms of security, they stressed the importance of security coordination and cooperation, having inked a memo of understanding in security cooperation and fight against illegal drugs in June 1998.

In October 2000, both countries' interior ministers agreed to set up a joint security committee for fighting terrorism and drug smuggling.
In September 2002, their defense ministers clinched a memo of understanding in the defensive field.