Prime Minister Albin Kurti has sought Kuwait’s support for Kosovo to obtain observer status in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Kurti made the request during a meeting with Kuwait’s Crown Prince, Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, in New York.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

According to Kurti, the two sides also discussed expanding economic cooperation and finalizing agreements between the two countries.

“We expressed our readiness to sign a memorandum on the Joint Cooperation Commission, which will provide new opportunities and a stable framework for our relations. We agreed that we will soon finalize the agreement on the avoidance of double taxation and the investment protection agreement,” Kurti wrote on Facebook, KosovaPress reports.

He highlighted information technology and the defense industry as sectors with potential for broader economic cooperation.

The meeting also addressed the contribution of the Kosovo Security Force to the peacekeeping mission in Kuwait. According to Kurti, the Crown Prince thanked Kosovo for its support in combating extremism in the Gulf region.

The prime minister also recalled Kuwait’s assistance to Kosovo during the 1999 war.

“In 1999, when our people were being forcibly expelled from their homes, a television initiative in Kuwait raised $7 million for Kosovo in a single day. The late Emir himself donated $1 million,” he wrote.

Kurti also expressed gratitude for Kuwait’s continued support for Kosovo’s path toward membership in international organizations.

“Now is the time for a significant new step: to turn this friendship into a concrete partnership on the path to economic development,” Kurti said.