By Aysu Bicer
LONDON (AA) - Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah made his first official visit to France since assuming power in December 2023, in a move that underscored the longstanding relationship between the two countries.
The visit Sunday, which coincided with France’s national Bastille Day celebrations, was described by the Presidential Palace, the Elysee, as a reflection of the "historical partnership between Paris and Kuwait."
Sheikh Mishal attended the official military parade on the Champs-Elysees alongside French President Emmanuel Macron. The Emir’s presence was widely viewed as a symbolic gesture of friendship and alignment between the Gulf state and France.
“On this National Day, the presence of Kuwait — with whom our friendship is rooted in history — honors and moves us,” Macron said on X.
The two leaders also held a bilateral meeting to discuss strengthening cooperation across several strategic sectors.
“We are united by the same will: to strengthen our cooperation in the fields of defense, education, health, energy and investment, and to speak together as a voice of stability in the face of the region’s challenges,” Macron added.