SUBSCRIPTION MONDAY, JUNE 2, 2014 SHAABAN 4, 1435 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Amir on landmark Iran Max 46º visit to boost relations Min 27º High Tide 03:35 & 13:44 Several bilateral agreements signed Low Tide 08:35 & 21:25 40 PAGES NO: 16184 150 FILS TEHRAN: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah yes- terday started a landmark visit to Tehran focused on mending fences between Shiite Iran and the Sunni-ruled monarchies in the Gulf. The two-day visit comes amid a thaw in ties between Tehran and six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) since the election of Iran’s moderate President Hassan Rouhani in June 2013. Sheikh Sabah, on his first visit to Tehran as head of state, flew in at the head of a high-level delegation including the foreign, oil, finance, commerce and industry ministers. Rouhani escorted Sheikh Sabah to review an Iranian honor guard upon the Amir’s arrival in Tehran. In greeting the Amir, Rouhani, quoted on the presidency website, said the trip would mark “a decisive turning point” and that the two states had “close views on political, regional and international issues”. The visit would “benefit both countries”, HH the Amir was quoted as saying. “Our ties with Kuwait are very important to us and we hope this trip would be a new chapter to boost cooperation,” said Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, quoted by state news agency IRNA. The visit will also focus on controver- sial regional issues, including Iran’s military involvement in Syria, the situation in Iraq and Egypt, and the Middle East peace process, Kuwaiti officials said. Relations between Iran and the Gulf, namely signs of rap- prochement between regional power brokers Saudi Arabia and Iran, will also be discussed during the visit, Kuwaiti for- eign ministry undersecretary Khaled Al-Jarallah told Al-Hayat newspaper. He said Kuwait, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the GCC - which also includes Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) - has balanced links with Tehran and is willing to mediate between Riyadh and Tehran. Saudi Arabia and its GCC partners are deeply suspicious of Iran’s nuclear ambitions and wary of the talks under way between Tehran and Western powers aimed at striking a long-term compromise. Riyadh is also at odds with Iran over the Syria war, in which Tehran backs the government and Saudi Arabia the rebels, as well as its involvement in Iraq, Bahrain and other countries in the region. Sheikh Sabah, a former Kuwaiti foreign minister, is described by analysts as one of the region’s most active diplomats, often acting as a mediator. TEHRAN: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (left) greets HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah upon his arrival yesterday. — AFP Continued on Page 15 MoI: DNA Imams slam Egyptian cleric’s deportation lab ready Housing crisis can be resolved in 10 years: MP KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior announced By B Izzak ing units, around 110,000 applications yesterday the completion of the Kuwaiti have piled for Kuwaiti couples, a majori- DNA identification laboratory, fully KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti imams and ty of whom wait for more than 15 years equipped with technical devices compatible Qatar denies World Cup preachers union yesterday strongly crit- to get a government house. But the with international quality standards. The icized the interior and Islamic affairs government has in the past few forensic evidence department at the min- ministries for deporting an Egyptian months said it plans to accelerate the istry is so keen on attaining specialized tech- bid corruption claims cleric, saying this is a very serious devel- construction process in order to reduce nical achievements that have significant opment. The cleric, Sayed Farraj, had the waiting period and resolve the cri- LONDON: Qatar’s 2022 football World Cup organiz- today. impact on the disclosure of evidences and reportedly criticized the Egyptian presi- sis. ers vehemently denied any wrongdoing after a In their response to the allegations, the Qatar facts. dential elections during a Friday ser- Last week, Minister of Communi- British newspaper alleged a top official paid more 2022 Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy These facts aid investigative and justice mon at a mosque in Farwaniya, saying cations and Municipality Essa Al- than $5 million to secure support in the bidding said their bid “upheld the highest standard of ethics the polls were rigged and the turnout Kandari said that the ministry of oil has bodies in performing their duties, and process. The Sunday Times said it had obtained mil- and integrity”. Bin Hammam “played no official or revealing many issues that have been boost- was very low. A number of Egyptian left a piece of land with an area of 70 lions of emails, documents and bank transfers relat- unofficial role” in the bid committee, they said. They worshippers objected to the imam and million sq m that has the capacity for ed by irrefutable probative evidence, ing to alleged payments made by said they were cooperating with Brigadier Dr Fahd Al-Dosari, Director General the issue was taken to the police sta- 43,000 units. Zalzalah said that report- Qatari former top football official Garcia and were “totally confident” tion. Later, the ministry of Islamic affairs ed obstacles in the area, especially of Forensic Evidence Department at the Mohamed bin Hammam. It alleged that an “objective” inquiry would con- ministry, said in a press statement released dismissed Farraj and the Interior underground water, can be overcome that Bin Hammam, a former Asian clude Qatar won “fairly”. “We vehe- Ministry deported him yesterday along with coordination between various by the media department at the ministry. Football Confederation president, mently deny all allegations of wrong- The department is also keen on keeping with his wife and three children. His government agencies. He also called used slush funds to pay cash to top doing. We will take whatever steps are elder son was spared to complete his for seeking the help of the private sec- up with the constant increase in the number football officials to win a necessary to defend the integrity of examinations. tor and local and foreign companies in of criminal and next of kin cases, he said, “groundswell” of support for the tiny Qatar’s bid,” it said in a statement. “The In another development, MP Youssef speeding up the housing program. noting that the lab’s capacity has surpassed emirate’s World Cup bid. right to host the tournament was won Al-Zalzalah said yesterday that the Kuwait Transparency Society mean- 9,000 samples of next of kin authenticity He was then on the executive because it was the best bid.” housing crisis in Kuwait can be resolved while has decided to monitor the and 1,500 criminal cases a month. committee of FIFA, the sport’s global The allegations come just days within 10 years provided that the gov- Kuwaiti by-election on June 26 to elect He also pointed out the ongoing efforts governing body. Bin Hammam, who ahead of FIFA’s annual congress, to be ernment builds and distributes 17,000 five seats that fell vacant after the resig- to attain further achievements to disclose launched an abortive challenge held in Sao Paulo between June 9 and units and housing plots. Zalzalah made nation of five MPs after the Assembly evidences and facts that assist investigative against incumbent FIFA president 12, where Blatter is set to announce Mohamed bin Hammam the comments following a meeting rejected their request to grill the prime and justice bodies to perform their duties to Sepp Blatter, resigned from his FIFA his candidacy for a fifth four-year term. between a parliamentary panel prepar- minister. The society will make contacts the fullest by using latest technological and AFC posts in 2012, shortly before The decision to give the World Cup to ing a response to the government pro- with the ministries of interior and jus- methods, and continuing to train and pre- he was banned for life from football administration Qatar, a small Gulf peninsula with little football his- gram, which he heads, and a number of tice in order to get the approvals for the pare human resources to get better results. by FIFA’s ethics committee. FIFA is investigating the tory, provoked widespread condemnation because officials headed by Housing Minister monitoring. The registration of candi- The laboratory was established on the direc- 2010 vote that awarded the 2022 World Cup to it will be held in the emirate’s summer. Blatter said Yasser Abul. The lawmaker said that the dates closed on Thursday after 134 tions of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Qatar and the 2018 tournament to Russia, following in May that it was a mistake to choose Qatar government stated in its program that hopefuls filed nomination papers to previous corruption accusations. A report by because of the summer desert heat and wants the of Interior, and Acting Minister of Awqaf and it will be constructing around 9,000 contest the five seats in three con- Michael Garcia, a top US lawyer, is to be finalised tournament switched to the northern hemisphere Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled units every year while the ministry later stituencies. A number of candidates this year. He was due to meet senior officials from winter, for the first time, to get round the problem. Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, said Dosari. — KUNA increased the figure to 12,000 annually. were expected to pull out of the race the Qatar 2022 organising committee in Oman Continued on Page 15 Due to delays in constructing hous- before the polls.