US News
Bush to meet with Kuwaiti emir, aviation deal signed
By DPA
Aug 30, 2006, 19:00 GMT

Washington - US President George W Bush will meet the emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, next week at the White House for talks on the war on terrorism.

The two leaders will discuss bilateral issues and the conflict in Iraq when they meet Tuesday, White House spokesman Tony Snow said.

They will also discuss the reconstruction effort in Lebanon following a month of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel that began on July 12 and left many parts of Lebanon devastated.

Ahead of the Kuwaiti leader's visit, the United States and Kuwait agreed Wednesday to promote commercial flights between the two countries and cut regulation of airline traffic.

The so-called open skies agreement provides for open routes and a number of other freedoms, as well as cooperative marketing arrangements such as code-sharing between Kuwaiti and US airlines.

US Ambassador Richard LeBaron and Kuwait's director of civil aviation, Yacoob Al-Saqer, signed the agreement in Kuwait, the US State Department said.