10/7/2014
Visiting Minister H.E. Ms. Al-Sabeeh, Japanese Business Leaders Discuss Development Plan

TOKYO, Oct 7 (KUNA) - Visiting Kuwaiti Minister of State for Development and Planning Affairs and Minister of Social Affairs and Labour Hind Al-Sabeeh exchanged views with Japanese business leaders on cooperation in Kuwait's development plan.

At a seminar in Tokyo organized by the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) under the title of "Upcoming Kuwait Second Mid-Range National Development Plan," Al-Sabeeh highlighted keenness by the Kuwaiti leadership on improving the business environment and encouraging foreign direct investment through an ambitious national development plan for 2015-2020.

"The development plan aims at strengthening the role of investment in the growth and diversification of the economy and stimulating the private sector to play a greater role, especially investments that yield positive inflows to the Kuwaiti economy," the minister said in her speech at the seminar.

The five-year plan copes with the vision of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to transform Kuwait into a financial and commercial hub, Al-Sabeeh said.

The participants in the one-day seminar included representatives from major Japanese enterprises, including Yasushi Kimura, Vice-President of the Japan Business Federation, who is also Chairman of Japan's top refinery JX Holdings Inc.

The seminar was also attended by Kuwaiti Ambassador to Japan Abdulrahman Al-Otaibi, Secretary-General of the Kuwaiti Supreme Council for Planning and Development Hashim Al-Rifai. (end)
By Miyoko Ishigami
Photo by Courtesy of Japan Business Federation (Keidanren)