India & Kuwait elevate ties to strategic level; ink defence pact after PM Modi meets top Kuwaiti leaders

KUWAIT CITY: India and Kuwait on Sunday elevated their ties to a strategic partnership and inked a key pact for defence cooperation after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held extensive talks with Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and other top leaders of the Gulf nation.

Besides the Emir, Modi held separate talks with Kuwaiti Prime Minister Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and Crown Prince Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah with a focus on giving new momentum to the overall bilateral ties.

The two sides signed four agreements, including the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defence. The other pacts will provide for cooperation in areas of sports, culture and solar energy.

In their delegation-level talks, the two prime ministers discussed a roadmap to strengthen the strategic partnership in areas of trade, investment, energy, defence, security, health, education, technology, cultural, and people-to-people ties, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The MoU on defence will provide for cooperation in the areas of defence industries, supply of defence equipment, joint exercises, training, exchange of personnel and experts and collaboration in research and development, Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary (Overseas Indian Affairs) in the MEA, said at a media briefing.

In a post on ‘X’, Modi described his talks with the Kuwaiti counterpart as “fruitful”.

“Our talks covered the full range of India-Kuwait relations, including trade, commerce, people-to-people ties and more. Key MoUs and Agreements were also exchanged, which will add strength to bilateral relations,” he said.

The Indian prime minister also invited a delegation comprising the Kuwaiti Investment Authority and other stakeholders to visit India to look at new opportunities in the fields of energy, defence, medical devices, pharma and food parks among others.

Modi arrived here on Saturday on a two-day trip, the first to this Gulf nation by an Indian prime minister in 43 years.

In the meetings, the Indian side also showed keen interest in intensifying its cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) through Kuwait’s presidency of the influential grouping.

In their discussions, Modi and the Emir largely deliberated on boosting ties in areas of information technology, pharmaceuticals, fintech, infrastructure and security.

Modi thanked the Emir for ensuring the well-being of over one million Indians in Kuwait while the Kuwaiti leader expressed appreciation for the contribution of the community in the development journey of the Gulf nation.

“Excellent meeting with His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah. We discussed cooperation in key sectors like pharmaceuticals, IT, FinTech, Infrastructure and security,” Modi said in another post on ‘X’.

“In line with the close ties between our nations, we have elevated our partnership to a strategic one and I am optimistic that our friendship will flourish even more in the times to come,” he added.

Chatterjee said the Indian side is confident that “this historic visit of the prime minister will open up a new chapter in relations between India and Kuwait.”

Both sides have been able to identify several important areas of cooperation and the two sides will be working to fulfil them, he said.

The senior MEA official said Kuwait is very keen on deeper cooperation with the Indian pharmaceutical sector and may even consider investments in India.

In the meeting with Crown Prince Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, Modi conveyed that India attaches utmost importance to its bilateral relations with Kuwait.

“The discussions covered ways to deepen economic and cultural linkages between our nations. We are extremely optimistic about the India-Kuwait Strategic Partnership scaling new heights of success in the times to come,” Modi said.

The MEA said the two leaders also emphasised close coordination between both sides in the UN and other multilateral fora.

“The prime minister expressed confidence that India-GCC relations will be further strengthened under the Presidency of Kuwait,” it said.

The Crown Prince hosted a banquet in honour of Modi.

In their delegation-level talks, the two prime ministers welcomed the recent signing of the Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC).

Under the JCC, new joint working groups in the areas of trade, investment, education, technology, agriculture, security and culture have been set up in addition to the existing JWGs on health, manpower and hydrocarbons.

The MoUs included one on a cultural exchange programme and another on an ‘executive programme on cooperation in the field of sports’. The fourth one is a framework agreement on Kuwait joining the International Solar Alliance.

Earlier in the day, Modi was given a ceremonial welcome at the Bayan Palace and was received by the Kuwaiti PM.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the talks between the prime minister and the Emir focused on exploring ways to take India-Kuwait ties to “new heights”.

In their discussions, Modi and the Kuwaiti Emir recalled the strong historical and friendly ties between the two countries and reaffirmed their full commitment to further expanding and deepening bilateral cooperation.

The MEA said Modi appreciated the new initiatives being undertaken by Kuwait to fulfill its ‘Vision 2035’ and congratulated the Emir for the successful holding of the summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) earlier this month.

The GCC is an influential grouping comprising the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. The total volume of India’s trade with GCC countries stood at USD 184.46 billion in the financial year 2022-23.

Modi also expressed his gratitude for inviting him on Saturday as a ‘Guest of Honour’ at the opening ceremony of the Arabian Gulf Cup.

The Emir reciprocated Modi’s sentiments and expressed appreciation for India’s role as a valued partner in Kuwait and the Gulf region, the MEA said in a statement.

It said the Kuwaiti leader looked forward to the greater role and contribution of India towards the realisation of Kuwait’s ‘Vision 2035’.

Modi invited the Emir, the Crown Prince and the Kuwaiti PM to visit India.

The Gulf nation is among India’s top trading partners, with bilateral trade valued at USD 10.47 billion in the financial year 2023-24.

Kuwait is India’s sixth largest crude supplier, meeting 3 per cent of the country’s energy needs.

Indian exports to Kuwait reached USD 2 billion for the first time, while investments by the Kuwait Investment Authority in India exceeded USD 10 billion.

The last Indian prime minister to visit Kuwait was Indira Gandhi in 1981. The Indian community is the largest expatriate community in Kuwait. (PTI)