Indian Ambassador praises prime minister’s visit to Kuwait as historic

• His Excellency Dr. Adarsh Swaika, the Indian Ambassador to Kuwait, emphasized that regular visits by Indian naval vessels will continue to enhance defense cooperation, while Kuwait’s GCC presidency presents a prime opportunity to strengthen ties with India and the GCC.

• Kuwait sees India’s economy as a key investment hub, with the Kuwait Investment Authority and business houses making significant investments across sectors, ambassador Swaika said.

• Trade, valued at $14 billion, is a key pillar in bilateral relations, with Kuwait recognizing India’s economy as a prime destination for foreign investment, the Indian ambassador said.

The Times Kuwait Report

His Excellency Dr. Adarsh Swaika, the Indian Ambassador to Kuwait, described the visit of India’s Prime Minister to Kuwait as highly symbolic and significant. He highlighted that the Kuwaiti leadership honored Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi by awarding him the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Medal, the highest civilian honor in Kuwait, reserved for kings, heads of state, and government leaders. Additionally, Prime Minister Modi was invited as the guest of honor at the opening of the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup.

Ambassador Swaika pointed out that the visit of his country’s prime minister was highly productive, during which he held several important meetings with the Kuwaiti leadership. These discussions focused on various aspects of bilateral relations and ways to support, enhance, and explore new horizons for cooperation.
Building traditional and friendly ties.

He revealed that the Prime Minister Modi had extended invitations to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, Crown Prince and His Highness Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the Prime Minister to visit India. Both countries agreed to elevate their bilateral relations to a strategic partnership, building on their traditional close and friendly ties and a shared desire to deepen cooperation in all fields.

He further noted that the visit led to the signing of four significant bilateral agreements. The first was a memorandum of understanding in the field of defense, providing a framework to enhance relations through joint military exercises, maritime defense, maritime safety, and the development and joint production of defense equipment.

The second was an executive program between the Public Authority for Sports and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in India, covering cooperation in sports from 2025 to 2028. The third was a cultural exchange program for 2025-2029, and the fourth was a framework agreement for Kuwait to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA), marking an important step in fostering low-carbon growth and promoting sustainable energy solutions.

Ambassador Swaika highlighted that the two countries agreed to continue regular visits by Indian naval vessels and guard ships to further enhance defense cooperation in all its forms. The Indian ambassador also emphasized that Kuwait’s presidency of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will provide an excellent opportunity to strengthen cooperation between India and the GCC countries, praising Kuwait’s active and pivotal role in Asia. He added that India welcomes Kuwait as a partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Ambassador Swaika expected that high-level mutual visits between the two countries will continue, explaining that in the past six months alone, there have been several significant visits: the Indian Minister of External Affairs visited Kuwait in August, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled met with Prime Minister Modi in New York, and the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister visited India in December.

He pointed out that the establishment of the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) between Kuwait and India will serve as an institutional mechanism to review and follow up on all aspects of bilateral relations.
The committee will be chaired by the foreign ministers of both countries. New joint working groups have also been established in areas such as trade, investments, education, skills development, science and technology, security, counter-terrorism, agriculture, and culture, in addition to existing working groups in health, labor, and hydrocarbons. He noted that both sides agreed on the need to hold meetings of the committee and working groups as soon as possible.

India-Kuwait trade surges to $14 billion, driven by oil and food sectors

He emphasized that trade is a crucial pillar in bilateral relations between the two countries, explaining that the current volume of trade exchange is estimated at $14 billion, primarily based on oil trade and the food sector.
He pointed out that Kuwait recognizes the importance of the Indian economy as an attractive environment for foreign investments. As a result, the Kuwait Investment Authority and several Kuwaiti business houses have made significant investments in India across various sectors.

Indian Embassy to mark the 250th anniversary of historical ties between India and Kuwait next April
Regarding the health sector, he expressed his hope for increased availability of medicines through the establishment of pharmaceutical factories and specialized Indian hospitals in Kuwait. He also noted that the embassy will organize a series of events next April to mark the 250th anniversary of historical relations between India and Kuwait. These events will include displays of Indian antiques, manuscripts, paper currencies, stamps, and more.

Setting up branches of Indian universities in Kuwait

On the academic front, he stated, “We are looking forward to the possibility of establishing branches of Indian universities in Kuwait. We are working on accrediting Indian universities in Kuwait to allow Kuwaiti students to study in India. Additionally, we are exploring a training program for Kuwaiti diplomats at the Indian Foreign Service Institute.”

He further pointed out that his country is already negotiating a free trade agreement with the GCC countries and highlighted the joint action plan between India and the GCC, noting that for the first time, a strategic dialogue was established between the foreign ministers of India and the GCC countries in September this year.