Kuwait’s Cabinet convened on Tuesday to review the outcomes of French President Emmanuel Macron’s official visit to Kuwait on Monday, highlighting an expansion of bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors. The weekly meeting was chaired by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, with Foreign Minister and Acting Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah briefing the media afterward.

The discussions acknowledged the official talks held between His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and President Macron, which were also attended by His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, the prime minister, and senior officials from both countries. The talks reviewed Kuwait-France longstanding relations and explored avenues to strengthen cooperation in economic, commercial, and investment fields, as well as other sectors of mutual interest.

Eight cooperation agreements and declarations of intent were signed during Macron’s visit. These include a letter of intent on defense cooperation between Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense and France’s Ministry of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs, and a declaration of intent on civil aviation cooperation. Additional agreements focused on exploratory cooperation in data and artificial intelligence involving Kuwait’s Ministry of State for Communications and Information Technology and French company Bertin, academic, scientific, and technical cooperation, promotion of direct investment, and partnerships involving the Kuwait Investment Authority with Airbus and the Gustave Roussy International Foundation in aviation and healthcare sectors. A memorandum of understanding was also signed between the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences and Airbus for activities in Africa and the Middle East.

As part of the visit’s ceremonial exchanges, the Amir awarded President Macron the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Medal recognizing his role in advancing Kuwait-France relations, while Macron bestowed upon the Amir the Grand Cross of the French Legion of Honor, France’s highest national order.

Beyond bilateral matters with France, the Cabinet reviewed recent discussions to bolster Kuwait’s security ties with the United States. These included meetings on Sunday between His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and Vice Admiral Kurt Renshaw, commander of US Naval Forces Central Command and the Fifth Fleet, as well as talks between the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Saud Al-Sabah and the US naval commander. The meetings focused on enhancing cooperation, coordination, and regional security efforts.

The Cabinet also expressed condolences to Saudi Arabia following a helicopter crash involving the Saudi Ministry of National Guard in Najran that resulted in two fatalities. Kuwait reaffirmed its support for Saudi Arabia’s right to self-defense and welcomed a recent UN Security Council statement condemning Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, which have targeted civilian infrastructure and maritime security. The Cabinet emphasized the interlinked security interests of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and called for full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2216 to prevent support reaching the Houthi militia.

In addition, the Cabinet expressed pride over Kuwait’s election to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2027-2029 term, viewing it as recognition of Kuwait’s role in regional and international affairs. It reaffirmed commitment to the UN Charter and the promotion of human rights free from politicization.

Furthermore, the Cabinet received updates on recent GCC ministerial meetings in Bahrain, including discussions on strengthening Gulf cooperation and the GCC-Russia strategic dialogue, focusing on enhancing coordination to address regional challenges and promote peace. Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah also briefed on his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, reviewing bilateral relations and regional developments, as well as telephone consultations with other foreign ministers.

On the domestic front, the Cabinet reviewed a presentation on waste management and treatment by Minister of State for Development and Sustainability Affairs Dr. Reem Ghazi Al-Fulaij, tasked with coordinating legal and technical responsibilities across government agencies to improve environmental protection and pollution reduction. Progress on the Business Environment Improvement Program was also reviewed, emphasizing the importance of inter-agency coordination and efforts to enhance Kuwait’s competitiveness internationally.

The meeting concluded with approvals of several reports and referrals of other matters to ministerial committees for further study.