Chief Executive John Lee hailed his visit to Kuwait and Qatar as a success having made achievements in six areas.
At a media session in Kuwait City, Kuwait, today, Mr Lee concluded his four-day visit to the two Middle East countries with a business delegation comprising representatives from Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises.
“We strengthened relations between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the governments of Qatar and Kuwait, establishing a collaborative consensus.
“The visit resulted in a total of 59 Memoranda of Understanding and agreements, 35 in Qatar and 24 in Kuwait, spanning across diverse areas and laying a robust groundwork for multifaceted co-operation.”
The Chief Executive also noted that the visit helped leverage Hong Kong’s strengths under the “one country, two systems” principle in connecting the Mainland and the world, deepening international exchanges and co-operation, and demonstrating the synergistic power of the complementary advantages between Hong Kong and the Mainland.
He added that the trip also further built relations with the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) countries to explore greater business opportunities, deepened mutual understanding and strengthening commercial and trading networks, and further enhanced cultural exchanges with the GCC countries.
In addition to Qatar’s new 30-day visa-free arrangement for Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport holders, Mr Lee today announced that the United Arab Emirates will grant Hong Kong 30-day visa-free access starting May 15, while Oman will, on the same date, extend its visa-free period from 10 to 14 days.
Mr Lee also highlighted that in meetings with leaders and officials in Kuwait and Qatar, he appreciated their forward-looking vision and their understanding of Hong Kong’s unparalleled advantages under “one country, two systems” as a bridge between the Mainland and the world.
“Middle East countries are seeking diversification of risks and looking for opportunities in China and the Hong Kong SAR in order to join the tide of the global economic shift towards the East. In this, Hong Kong has boundless opportunities.”
