Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, and His Highness Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait, held comprehensive talks aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership between the two nations. The leaders discussed a roadmap to enhance cooperation in various sectors, including political, trade, investment, energy, defence, security, health, education, technology, cultural, and people-to-people ties.
The meeting took place on the second day of Modi’s two-day visit to Kuwait. The focus was on deepening economic cooperation between the two countries. The Indian Prime Minister extended an invitation to a delegation comprising the Kuwaiti Investment Authority and other stakeholders to visit India. The purpose of this visit would be to explore new opportunities in the fields of energy, defence, medical devices, pharma, food parks, among others.
The leaders also deliberated on cooperation in traditional medicine and agricultural research. They welcomed the recent signing of the Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC), under which new Joint Working Groups in the areas of trade, investment, education, technology, agriculture, security, and culture have been established. These groups will work in addition to the existing JWGs on Health, Manpower, and Hydrocarbons.
The meeting concluded with the signing and exchange of bilateral agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs). These included an MoU on Defence Cooperation, a Cultural Exchange Programme, an Executive Program on Cooperation in the Field of Sports, and the Framework Agreement on Kuwait joining the International Solar Alliance.
The leaders also acknowledged the centuries-old historical ties rooted in shared history and cultural affinities between the two nations. Prime Minister Modi dedicated an award he received during his visit to the long-standing friendship between India and Kuwait, the Indian community in Kuwait, and the 1.4 billion people of India. The conferment of the award on this historic visit of a Prime Minister of India to Kuwait after 43 years added a special meaning to the occasion.
The leaders reiterated their unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorists and terror financing networks and safe havens. They called for zero tolerance to terrorism and expeditious finalisation and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International terrorism in the UN Framework as well as implementation of the UNGA and the UNSC resolutions on countering terrorism and violent extremism.
The Gulf Cooperation Council, a regional organisation consisting of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE, was also discussed during the meeting. Prime Minister Modi expressed confidence in the strengthening of India-GCC ties under Kuwait’s Presidency.
The leaders also discussed the potential for greater cultural exchanges in art, music, dance, literature, and theatre, cooperation in preservation of cultural heritage, research and development in the area of culture, and organizing of festivals. The International Solar Alliance collectively covers the deployment of solar energy and addresses key common challenges to the scaling up of use of solar energy to help member countries develop low-carbon growth trajectories.
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