p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Calibri; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} span.s2 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none; color: #042eee; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #042eee} Kuwaiti parliament Speaker Marzouq al-Ghanem delivered an address April 22 to members of Russia’s upper house, the Federation Council. During his speech, Ghanem extolled the “solid and deep-rooted partnership” between Kuwait and Russia, and praised Russia for its opposition to US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize the Golan Heights as Israeli territory.
Ghanem’s words of praise for Russian foreign policy is intriguing as they come at a time when US-Kuwait relations are getting stronger. In August 2018, the US military opened its largest aerial supply port in the Middle East near Kuwait International Airport, and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo glorified the unprecedented strength of the US-Kuwait alliance during his visit to the country in late March. Despite these developments, Russia hopes to cooperate more closely with Kuwait on resolving regional conflicts, as both countries wish to burnish their reputations as conflict arbiters and establish an inclusive regional order that does not isolate Iran or Qatar.