Kuwait joins ‘Kochi 2025 Dialogue’ to strengthen India-GCC relations

• Ambassador Mishal Mustafa Al-Shamali, the ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary State of Kuwait to India, stated that the “Kochi 2025 Dialogue” seeks to enhance Gulf-India cooperation in energy, trade, defense, healthcare, and more.

The State of Kuwait took part on Thursday in the “Kochi 2025 Dialogue,” held in Kerala, southern part of India, to bolster cooperation between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

In a press statement, the Kuwaiti Embassy in India announced that Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), participated in the event, which took place in Kochi from January 16-17.

According to Al Jarida newspaper, this marks the first diplomatic initiative aimed at enhancing collaboration between India and GCC nations.

AlBudaiwi participated in the event, organized by the Public Policy Research Center in cooperation with the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the slogan “India’s Policy to the West: The People and Prosperity.”

Ambassador Mishal Mustafa Al-Shamali, the ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary State of Kuwait to India, stated that the dialogue aims to strengthen cooperation between the Gulf countries and India in several priority areas of mutual interest, including energy, trade, investment, defense, security, healthcare, food security, and cybersecurity.

He added that the dialogue serves as a new platform to develop promising, multifaceted future visions that unite the GCC countries and India.

Senior officials from India and the Gulf States, including government representatives, ambassadors, and business leaders, participated in the two-day event to discuss bilateral, regional, and global issues.

Five central topics related to India’s relations with the Gulf were on the agenda, including trade, economic ties, investments, strategic maritime partnerships, education, healthcare, technology, expatriate outreach, and energy cooperation and innovation.

While the dialogue was inaugurated by Kirti Vardhan Singh, India’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Minister of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change, AlBudaiwi delivered a keynote speech to mark the launch of the “Kochi Dialogue 2025.”