Kuwait Fund and ITF Lay Groundwork for Humanitarian Cooperation

Mr. Waleed Sh. Al-Bahar, Act. Director General of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development welcomed Dr. Aleš Musar, spouse of the President of the Republic of Slovenia and Amb. Tomaž Lovrenčič, ITF Director at KFAED Headquarters to explore closer humanitarian cooperation. The meeting followed high-level discussions between Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait H.E. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah and President of the Republic of Slovenia dr. Nataša Pirc Musar earlier this year at UN General Assembly meeting in New York and confirmed strong mutual interest in building a practical partnership between the two institutions.

The discussions focused on humanitarian needs in Palestine, Lebanon, Ukraine, and Syria, where ITF has an established operational presence which could be further enhanced through partnership with KFAED. Both sides emphasized the value of well-coordinated partnerships that combine donor support with trusted implementation, enabling more effective assistance to vulnerable populations, including mine victims and communities affected by conflict.

A key outcome of the meeting was agreement to move toward a formal cooperation framework and identify priority countries for joint action. The partnership was highlighted as a concrete example of burden sharing and shared responsibility – an approach that strengthens sustainability, widens international support, and increases the overall impact of humanitarian programs of both the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development and ITF.