External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar discussed the multifaceted India-Kuwait relations and ways to further expand ties with his Kuwait counterpart Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya in New Delhi yesterday evening. They also exchanged views on recent developments in West Asia and India’s cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council. The two Ministers signed an MoU on establishing a Joint Commission for Cooperation at the level of Foreign Ministers.

During the meeting, Dr Jaishankar said India is committed to strengthening bilateral ties with Kuwait across various domains, including trade, investment, energy, IT and culture. The External Affairs Minister said India and Kuwait enjoy longstanding ties. He emphasised that India’s vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047 and Kuwait’s vision of New Kuwait by 2035 provide both nations with higher aspirations. He noted that the Indian community in Kuwait has been a living bridge between the two countries. In his remarks, Kuwait’s Foreign Affairs Minister said the historical ties between India and Kuwait span centuries and have evolved into a great partnership. He stressed that India is a very important partner for Kuwait. Mr Al-Yahya said food security and cyber security are the major issues between India and Kuwait and among the priorities for the Kuwait government.