Khuzaei: Iraq seeks Kuwaiti support in furthering ties with other countries

Iraq seeks Kuwait's support in extending and ameliorating its relationships with other countries, said Iraqi vice-president Khodair al-Khuzaei as he met in his office on Tuesday with Kuwaiti ambassador Ali al-Muemen. The ambassador was visiting the vice-president's office on the occasion of the end of his tenure in Baghdad, said a statement from that office. The Iraqi official stressed in the meeting with the ambassador "the historic ties that bind Kuwait and Iraq together," noting that these ties "would not be jeopardized by the foolish past conduct of the Saddam Hussein defunct regime." He urged the Kuwaiti government to ease the entry to and exit from Kuwait of Iraqi travelers, since, in his words, Kuwait is the gateway of Iraq to the rest of the world. Ambassador al-Muemen, in his turn, affirmed the strong bilateral ties of the two countries and looked with pride for the time he spent in his official capacity in Iraq.