Kuwaiti ambassador in India lauds bilateral relations

Kuwait’s ambassador to India, Mishaal Al-Shamal, confirmed that Kuwaiti-Indian relations are well-established and deep-rooted in the depths of history, and date back to the earliest times when Arabs knew the sea-routes for trade with the Indian subcontinent. Alluding to the excellent people to people relations between Kuwait and India, the ambassador noted that today there were nearly one million Indians in Kuwait, and that thousands of Kuwaitis make regular trips to India each year.

Ambassador Al-Shamali also disclosed that the two countries are keen to boost their bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership and intensify cooperation in various fields. He revealed that the seventh round of political consultations will be held next year in New Delhi.

He stated that political cooperation is a fundamental pillar of bilateral relations between Kuwait and India, and that both countries believe in peace and stability in the region. This is particularly poignant in that India is now moving to strengthen its relations with the GCC countries with whom India is deeply linked.

He pointed out that the health sector is one of the most important aspects of cooperation between Kuwait and India, which has achieved tangible achievements over the past few years. He noted that Indian doctors provide excellent health care in Kuwait hospitals, especially during the outbreak of the pandemic.

He added that competent authorities in both countries are making sincere efforts to enhance cooperation in the field of public health and are keen to exchange views. The two sides also hold meetings to discuss topics in the field of healthcare, discuss procedures for implementing health cooperation agreements and protocols, exchange experiences, and recruit doctors, technicians and nursing staff from India to Kuwait.

He stated that there are about 1000 doctors, 500 dentists and about 24,000 nurses from India currently working in Kuwait, and that their services were highly appreciated, and their contribution to the development of the state’s health system widely acknowledged. Kuwait is also working to strengthen the medical partnership with India, to benefit from Indian medical institutions by exchanging ideas and bringing medical and health staff to the country, said the ambassador.

He also pointed out that educational cooperation plays a vital role in consolidating bilateral relations between Kuwait and India. These educational ties are stronger after both countries signed a number of agreements on cooperation in the fields of culture, education and education, including a MOU on cooperation in the field of education and higher education.

These agreements contribute to facilitating procedures for cooperation in the fields of student and faculty exchange, joint research and development projects, curriculum design, participation in cultural and educational events and the exchange of best practices and experiences, as well as the development of programs related to student needs in both countries.

He stated that there are currently 26 schools in Kuwait that follow the curriculum of the Central Council for Secondary Education (CBSE) for India, where more than 60,000 students of different nationalities study, most of them Indians. Some Kuwaiti students also go to India to study postgraduate programs in the finest Indian universities.

Al-Shamali added that India is one of the most important trading partners of Kuwait, and the level of trade and investment relations between the two countries increased significantly during the past years. He pointed out that the completion of free trade negotiations between the GCC countries and the Republic of India will inevitably lead to more mutual economic and trade growth of Kuwait and the countries of the region.

He pointed out that Kuwait has significant investments in Indian territory covering several areas, the most important of which is petrochemicals, where the total foreign direct investment from Kuwait to India until March 2023 amounted to over USD10 billion due to the attractiveness of the Indian economy and the amount of foreign investments in India over the past few years.

He pointed out that in return, Kuwait is keen to attract more Indian investments and talents, by adopting a new strategy to encourage Indian investment in a variety of promising sectors, including infrastructure, manufacturing, tourism, health and renewable energy.