US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage thanked Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Muhammad Al-Sabah Al-Salim Al-Sabah for Kuwait's strong stance on oil production by the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and for its cooperation in Iraq.
"We both agree that the struggle in Iraq will continue for some time, but we're determined that we're going to both stay the course," Armitage said on April 2 after his meeting with the Kuwaiti foreign minister.
Al-Sabah said Kuwait argued strongly that OPEC should postpone any decision to cut production. "This is a decision that we argued would not be helpful to the world economy if it leads to an increase in oil prices," Al-Sabah said.
Armitage said his worries about rising oil prices have been allayed following talks among the United States, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The Kuwaiti foreign minister said his government looks forward to developing a free trade area involving his country, other countries in the Gulf and the United States. — (menareport.com)
© 2004 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
