Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has asked Kuwait to support Kosovo’s bid to obtain observer status in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Kurti made the request during a meeting with Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
According to Kurti, the meeting focused on strengthening bilateral economic cooperation and expanding relations between Kosovo and Kuwait.
“Now is the time to take a significant new step: to turn this friendship into a concrete partnership on the path of economic development,” Kurti said in a statement posted on Facebook.
He said the two sides expressed readiness to sign a memorandum establishing a Joint Commission for Cooperation, which he described as providing a new framework for bilateral relations.
Kurti also said Kosovo and Kuwait had agreed to work toward finalizing agreements on the avoidance of double taxation and the protection of investments.
“We also requested Kuwait’s support for Kosovo to obtain observer status in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation,” he said.
During the meeting, Kurti expressed gratitude for Kuwait’s assistance to Kosovo during the 1998–1999 war.
According to Kurti, the Kuwaiti Crown Prince, in turn, thanked Kosovo for its support in combating extremism in the Gulf region.
The two officials also discussed the contribution of the Kosovo Security Force to a peacekeeping mission in Kuwait as part of the Iowa National Guard, according to Kurti.
The meeting comes as Kosovo continues diplomatic efforts to strengthen relations with countries that have not recognized its independence and to expand its participation in international organizations.
