When two sovereign Countries officially establish diplomatic relations they proceed to the exchange of high-level legations. The diplomatic envoys are usually called Ambassadors and their offices Embassies; the Holy See, however, continues to employ the ancient traditional terms of Apostolic Nuncio for its ambassadors and of Apostolic Nunciature for its embassies.

Bilateral diplomatic exchanges are the means by which two Countries seek to cooperate in developing mutual strategic, political and economic interests. The case of the Holy See is somewhat unique because by its very nature it does not seek strategic, political or economic alliances. With profound respect for all Countries and for the particular richness of their historical, cultural and social heritage, the Holy See simply wishes to be of service in a cooperative search for a world of peace, justice and solidarity. The fact that one hundred and seventy-two Countries are today maintaining diplomatic ties with the Holy See indicates that such role is widely appreciated.

The State of Kuwait was the first among all the Countries of the Arabian Peninsula to establish diplomatic relations with the Holy See on 21 October 1968. The present Ambassador of Kuwait to the Holy See, H.E. Ahmad Ahdulkarim Al-Ebrahim, resides in Paris, where he is also Ambassador to the French Republic. Until recently the Apostolic Nuncio to Kuwait resided in Beirut, being also Nuncio to Lebanon. On 13 November 1999, His Holiness Pope John Paul II appointed Monsignor Giuseppe De Andrea "Chargé d'Affaires with Letters" of the Apostolic Nunciature in Kuwait, with the mission of establishing a residence in Kuwait City. He arrived in Kuwait on 18 January 2000 and presented his letters to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the following 9 February.

Two other Countries in the Arabian Peninsula have recently established diplomatic relations with the Holy See: the Republic of Yemen on 12 October 1998, and the State of Bahrain on 12 January 2000. Thus two new Nunciatures, one to Yemen and one to Bahrain, have been created in the Peninsula. The Papal Representative resident in Kuwait is at present also in charge of them. He has traveled to Sana'a and to Manama to present his letters of accreditation to the Authorities and maintains with them the necessary contacts.

While for the Countries which have diplomatic relations with the Holy See the Apostolic Nuncio has the twofold role of officially representing the Holy Father to the Government as well as to the Bishops and faithful of the Catholic Church in their territory, in the other Countries of the Arabian Peninsula without diplomatic relations with the Holy See, the Papal Representative, with the title of Apostolic Delegate, retains only the second role of being the bond of the local churches with the Holy Father in Rome. Such is the case in the Countries of Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Saudi Arabia, which at present do not have diplomatic relations with the Holy See.