British Secretary of State for Defense Gavin Williamson visited Kuwait on Wednesday 3 January 2018, for the first time since his appointment in November 2017, the UK Government Website reported.

During his visit he called on His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and the Prime Minister His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

He also called on the First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and congratulated him on his recent appointment.

This visit is an important opportunity to build on the excellent defense co-operation between the State of Kuwait and the United Kingdom as part of the close and cordial bilateral relations which exist between our two countries.

The United Kingdom welcomes the important role which Kuwait is playing in the region - as a key partner in the Counter-Daesh Coalition, as a major humanitarian donor and as a mediator in regional disputes - and more widely as Kuwait joins the United Nations Security Council for 2018-2019

Speaking to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) after the meeting with Kuwait’s Emir, the British official said he hopes his visit to Kuwait, the first since becoming Defense Secretary, would help build on the excellent military ties between the two countries, to push bilateral ties to new levels.

He hailed Kuwait’s leading role in the region through the country’s participation in the international coalition to fight terrorist groups, including the Islamic State.

He also praised Kuwait’s role for dissolving regional disputes and its well-chronicled humanitarian endeavors.