KUWAIT CITY, June 24: Official at the Gulf States and Arabian Peninsula Office in the Middle East Unit of the Secretariat General for Foreign Policies in the European Parliament Roberto Bendini has announced that procedures related to exempting Kuwaitis from the Schengen visa will resume in 2025 — after the European Parliament election scheduled for 2024, reports Al-Qabas daily. In a statement to the daily, Bendini touched on efforts to strengthen relations between Kuwait and Europe, noting the strong cooperation between the European and Kuwaiti parliaments. He confirmed the official visit of a Kuwaiti parliamentary delegation to Brussels, Belgium in December to discuss ways to fortify bilateral relations and address many issues, including exempting Kuwaitis from the Schengen visa.

Asked if he is optimistic about the results of discussions in this regard, he said: “We have already discussed this matter, but I think we must try to convince the European Commission to have a separate legislative proposal for each country, that is, not linked to another country. This will be much easier and better. It is a way to ensure the fastest decision. From a political point of view, the issue of visa exemption is linked to a set of regulations related to human rights.” He pointed out that the Kuwaiti Parliament is the only real parliament in the region, as manifested in the magnitude of support for strengthening the democratic climate in Kuwait. He said there should be cooperation between the government and parliament to achieve reforms, praising the parliamentary culture of the Kuwaiti people and the vitality of the turnout in elections. Meanwhile, Peter Stano — European Union’s spokesperson for foreign and security policies — described the political and security relations between the European Union and Kuwait as strong and solid, which are developing remarkably.

In a press conference on the sidelines of the daily’s visit to Brussels, Stano lauded the role of Kuwait in resolving crises and bringing peace to the region, while praising its mediations and initiatives in this regard. Stano highlighted many common challenges, including combating terrorism and extremism; pointing out that the European Union aims to strengthen ties with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries at all levels and in various fields; in addition to cooperation, building and promoting development of what have been achieved over the past 30 years.

Special Representative of the European Union for the Gulf Region Luigi Di Maio announced that supporting cooperation and partnership between the European Union and the Gulf countries, and bringing points of views closer, are among his top priorities. He also confirmed his visit to the countries in the region before the end of this year. Maio, who is the first envoy of the Union to the region, added that “we are looking forward to knowing the changes the region is going through.” He said the European Union institutions understand the importance of strengthening relations with the Gulf states, stressing that “reducing tension and pushing for non-escalation are very important and common concerns for us.”