(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Kuwait will celebrate the 53rd anniversary of joining the Arab League, a journey of big efforts in supporting all Arab matters throughout the years.
Joining the League was the first step the former Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah had taken when the country gained its independence in 1961.
Secretary General for political affairs in the League Sayid Nofal has expressed at the time his pleasure for Kuwait's membership, noting that Kuwait has been defending Arab causes way before joining the League.
Accepting Kuwait's membership request was stalled until July 20 1961, because Iraq has presented documents to the General Secretariat, claiming that Kuwait was part of Iraq. The Secretariat held several meetings then, finally deciding to accept the membership, while also announcing that the League would help Kuwait gain membership at the United Nations.
On August 10 1990, the League issued article number 195 condemning the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, calling on Iraq to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions. The League also supported Kuwait as an independent state, later issuing resolutions regarding the rights of Kuwaiti POWs, and providing the country with compensations for the damage caused by the invasion.
Kuwait has played a prominent role in resolving issues and conflicts between member countries, led by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who was the Minister of Foreign Affairs back then.
His Highness Sheikh Sabah played a role in the reconciliation between Yemeni parties in the mid 60s, and in ending armed conflict between South Yemen and the Yemen Arab Republic in 1972.
Kuwait also helped end the Lebanese crisis when the civil war broke out in the country from 1975 to 1989. Kuwait kept providing Lebanese people with support and aid throughout the war.
As for the Palestinian Cause, Kuwait continued supporting the issue and drawing international attention to the matter, demanding an end to the Israeli attacks.
His Highness the Amir in his first speech at the UN's General Assembly in 1963 called on the international community to grant Palestinian people all their rights.
Another big step Kuwait has taken in resolving issues between Arab states was helping Iraq exit Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter in 2013. The article was issued by the UN to impose international sanctions on Iraq as a result of the invasion of Kuwait.
Kuwait also plays a huge role in supporting Arab countries on the economic part as well as the humanitarian part. Therefore, Kuwait hosted the first Arab economic, developmental and social summit in 2009, while also hosting the Afro-Arab Summit, and the international donors' conferences to support the humanitarian situation in Syria.
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