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Kuwait denies holding talks with Israel

April 18, 2014 at 9:44 am

Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry has categorically denied the claims made by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman about holding secret talks with Israel.


Kuwait’s state-run KUNA news agency quoted on Monday a Foreign Ministry official as saying: “There [have been] no meetings or contacts formal or informal, secret or declared with Israel. The news is baseless”.

The official explained that Kuwait’s declared position on maintaining no diplomatic contact with Israel remains the same. “Kuwait is committed to the fixed Arab position in this regard. Kuwait will be the last state to normalise relations with Israel,” the official noted.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said in an interview with Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on Monday that Israel is holding secret talks with some Arab states that do not recognise it, singling out in particular Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, adding that he looks forward to establishing diplomatic relations based on a common fear of Iran.

Lieberman told the newspaper: “For the first time, there is an understanding there that the real threat is not Israel, the Jews or Zionism. It is Iran, global jihad, Hezbollah and al-Qaeda.”

Saudi Arabia has become accustomed to denying Israeli and Western reports about its diplomats holding meetings with their Israeli counterparts. Riyadh denied twice during the past six months such reports, which are often described by the Israeli media as “historic”.