New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Gulf nation of Kuwait for a two-day visit starting Saturday, New Delhi announced on Wednesday. This will be the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Kuwait in 43 years. This visit is going to be held at the invitation of the Emir (ruler) of Kuwait Sheikh Mesal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
During the visit, the Prime Minister will hold discussions with the leadership of Kuwait. He will also interact with the Indian community in Kuwait. India and Kuwait traditionally share close and friendly relations rooted in history and linked by economic and strong people-to-people ties…,” New Delhi said, adding, “This visit will provide an opportunity to further strengthen multilateral ties. between India and Kuwait”.
Recently, high-level meetings have been held between the two countries. Earlier in September, the prime minister and the Kuwaiti crown prince met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also visited the oil-rich Gulf nation on August 18.
Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al Yahya also visited India earlier this month. During this visit, he met the Prime Minister and also invited the Kuwaiti leadership to visit Kuwait. The two foreign ministers also met on September 9 at the first India-GCC Strategic Dialogue Committee meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
The two countries have institutionalized their cooperation through mechanisms like the Joint Commission (JCC), which was established during the visit of the Kuwaiti foreign minister to India earlier this month.
The JCC is led at the Foreign Minister level, with seven new Joint Working Groups (JWGs) also established in the areas of trade, investment, education, technology, agriculture, security and culture. These complement the three existing JWGs on hydrocarbons, health, and consular affairs, bringing the total number of JWGs to 10 after the signing of the JCC.
Kuwait is one of India’s top trading partners, with bilateral trade worth $10.47 billion in FY 2023-24. Kuwait is India’s sixth largest crude supplier, meeting three percent of the country’s energy needs. Indian exports to Kuwait have reached $2 billion for the first time, while Kuwait Investment Authority’s investment in India has crossed $10 billion.
Indians also form the largest expatriate community in Kuwait and serve as a “living bridge” between the two countries.