Kuwait's defence minister receives French honour

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has conferred Legion of Honor medal of the first degree upon Shaikh Jaber Al Mubarak Al Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.

Shaikh Jaber was awarded the prestigious Legion d'honneur or Ordre national de la Legion d'honneur at a ceremony held at the Elysee Palace.

The order was established by Napoleon Bonaparte on May 19, 1802.
Shaikh Jaber’s honouring was in recognition for his efforts in strengthening ties between Kuwait and France, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) said.

Kuwait and France signed last October a deal to bolster defense cooperation. The agreement, endorsed during Shaikh Jaber's visit, is seen as an extension to the Kuwaiti-French defense accord signed in 1992.

Shaikh Jaber in November became the first Arab to receive the Japanese Emperor's Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, Japan's highest-ranked decoration conferred on foreigners.