Kuwait: we recognize Arafat, but not dealing with him

The Kuwaiti foreign minister Sheikh Muhammad al-Sabah al-salem announced yesterday that Kuwait does not deal with the chairman of the Palestinian authority Yasser Arafat.

In a statement to the Kuwaiti daily al-Rai al-Am, al-Sabah said that Kuwait "recognizes that Arafat is the chairman of the PLO and that the PLO is the sole and legitimate representative for the Palestinian people. We admit that, but we do not deal with Arafat."

The Kuwaiti minister repeated " Kuwait considers itself in a state of not maintaining political cooperation with Arafat." Replying to a question on that Kuwait did not propose an alternative for Arafat, he said "we do not interfere in the internal affairs of the Palestinians." He added "I do think that Arafat has made great mistake against Kuwait and did not correct this mistake, but on the other hand, I do not withdraw my recognition of his legitimacy as a representative for the Palestinians."

Replying to a question on the steps needed from Arafat to correct the mistake he had committed, the Kuwaiti minister confined to saying " He knows these steps."