Info minister vows to develop national news agency

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 6: Kuwait’s Minister of Information and Culture Hamad Rouheddine on Sunday pledged to spare no effort for overhauling Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) and elevating its performance to the highest level possible. Kuwait News Agency, since its establishment, has emitted Kuwait’s achievements and events to the world, said the minister during a visit to KUNA’s headquarters. He urged the staff to persevere, recalling the news agency role during the 1990-1991 Iraqi aggression and occupation, when it pursued functioning from London, defending Kuwait’s rights. KUNA has contributed to news inflow to Kuwait turning into a credible reference for information, he added.

The minister toured KUNA’s divisions and capped visit, meeting the acting director general, Talal Al- Kandari. Meanwhile, Hamad Rouheddine said on Sunday he would do everything in his power to support the local cultural and arts body, hailing it as a beacon of national heritage. Kuwait’s National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) represents the country’s “cultural and artistic movement,” Hamad Rouheddine told KUNA on the sidelines of his visit to the cultural body. Ahead of national celebrations, the minister said the NCCAL faces an “immense responsibility” to ensure the local culture and arts scene remains as vibrant as ever, adding that as a Kuwaiti national, he highly anticipates what the cultural body has in store for the near future. By Fawaz Al-Otaibi and Shahad Kamal, (KUNA)