There should be a close partnership between the government and the private sector on preparing festivities and public events for the upcoming national celebrations in February, said Minister of Information and State Minister for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah on Thursday. He was speaking at a meeting of the permanent committee for preparations for national celebrations, which he heads. He stressed the need to promote these celebrations well ahead of time so that to attract public attention to them. The committee secretary Sheikha Amthal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who is also Head of the Voluntary Work Center in Kuwait, said that along with the national celebrations, numerous conferences, forums, and symposiums will be held for the benefit of the public. The array of festivities planned will be distributed among the nation\'s several governorates, she said, thereby allowing the public everywhere to be close to the sites and locations of the celebrations. The focal feature of the celebrations, she said, will be a flag raising ceremony and a patriotic musical show usually involving school children singing patriotic songs. Attending the meeting were representatives from many government ministries and agencies