New Delhi:
India and Kuwait are expected to focus on strengthening ties in a number of key areas, including defense and trade, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day official visit to the Gulf state.
Prime Minister Modi will hold talks with Kuwait's top brass, visit an Indian labor camp, address the Indian community and attend the opening ceremony of the Gulf Cup football tournament.
It will be the first visit to the Gulf state by an Indian Prime Minister in 43 years.
Ahead of the Prime Minister's visit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said discussions were underway with Kuwait on a bilateral investment treaty and defense cooperation pact.
At a media briefing, Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary (Overseas Indian Affairs) at the MEA, said a number of bilateral documents are expected to be strengthened during the Prime Minister's visit.
“The Prime Minister's historic visit is expected to open a new chapter in bilateral relations between India and Kuwait,” he said.
“It will not only consolidate partnership in existing areas, but also reveal new avenues for future cooperation, strengthen our shared values and build a stronger and more dynamic partnership for the future,” he added.
Mr Chatterjee said the visit is also expected to strengthen ties between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
The GCC is an influential grouping consisting of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. The total volume of Indian trade with the GCC countries stood at USD 184.46 billion in the financial year 2022-23.
Kuwait is the current chairman of the GCC.
Mr Chatterjee said India is in negotiations with the GCC on a free trade pact. “We hope both sides can reach a successful conclusion,” he added.
On Prime Minister Modi's planned visit to a labor camp in Kuwait, Mr Chatterjee said the Government of India attaches significant importance to the welfare of all Indian workers abroad.
“The idea of the Prime Minister's visit to the labor camp is to express the importance that the Government of India attaches to our workers. That's the main goal,” he said.
More than 45 Indians died in June in a devastating fire at a building housing foreign workers in southern Kuwait's Mangaf district.
The Prime Minister is visiting Kuwait at the invitation of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Besides meeting the Emir, Prime Minister Modi will also hold talks with the Kuwaiti Crown Prince and the Prime Minister.
“The visit would help develop a more dynamic partnership between the two countries,” Chatterjee said.
Prime Minister Modi will discuss with Kuwaiti leaders the entire spectrum of bilateral ties, including in the areas of trade, investment, energy, culture and people-to-people contacts, he said.
Kuwaiti Crown Prince will also host a banquet for Prime Minister Modi, he added.
The last Indian Prime Minister to visit Kuwait was Indira Gandhi in 1981.
India is one of Kuwait's most important trading partners. The Indian community is the largest community of expats in Kuwait.
The Gulf state is among India's top trading partners, with bilateral trade worth $10.47 billion in the financial year 2023-2024.
Kuwait is India's sixth largest supplier of crude oil and supplies 3 percent of the country's energy needs.
Indian exports to Kuwait reached $2 billion for the first time, while the Kuwait Investment Authority's investments in India exceeded $10 billion.
India and Kuwait have traditionally enjoyed friendly relations, with ties dating back to before Kuwait's oil war, when maritime trade with India formed the backbone of the economy.
Kuwait's economy revolved around its fine port and maritime activities, including shipbuilding, pearl diving, fishing and voyages to India on wooden dhows carrying dates, Arabian horses and pearls traded for timber, grains, clothing and spices, according to people who studied the activities followed. ties between the two nations.
The Indian rupee remained legal tender in Kuwait until 1961, a symbol of its enduring economic and cultural ties.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries were formally established in 1961, with India initially represented by a trade commissioner.
Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jabar Al-Sabah visited India on a private visit in July 2017.
The last high-level visit from both sides was that of the Prime Minister of Kuwait to India in 2013.