Macedonia recalls Kuwaiti solidarity upon 1963 quake

As Macedonia marks the 50th anniversary of the catastrophic quake of 1963 which rattled the capital Skopje, it also recalled with gratitude the assistance extended by Kuwait during the natural disaster, a letter to this effect said. The letter was presented to the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Turkey and non-Resident Ambassador to Macedonia Abdullah Al-Thuwaikh by Skopje Mayor Koce Trajanovski. In remarks to KUNA Thursday, the Ambassador said, "the letter recalls with gratitude the Kuwaiti support as the city sought to deal with the aftermath of the quake that left 1,070 people dead and another 4,000 injured. The official stressed the Kuwaiti stance back then reflected strong sense of solidarity with peoples of other nations. The Ambassador added "the letter also said that the impact of the support is still felt today, and that Macedonia has great admiration for the philanthropic role Kuwait still plays on the international scene whenever and wherever disaster strikes." Moving on to the present day, Al-Thuwaikh said relations between Kuwait and Macedonia are showing constant growth in all areas, and particularly along the political track. Preparations are ongoing for the visit of the Macedonian Premier to Kuwait soon, said Al-Thuwaik. The two states have signed agreements in such areas as avoiding double taxation, protecting investments, and encouraging commercial and economic exchange, and Kuwait is keen on even more active interaction and more wide-ranging cooperation with the friendly nation, the diplomat remarked