Kuwait’s ambassador calls foreign minister’s India visit ‘historic and groundbreaking’

• His Excellency Meshal Mustafa J. Alshemali, Ambassador of Kuwait to India, said “India and Kuwait have shared relations dating back more than three hundred years, and the visit of the Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al Yahya to New Delhi has further cemented these bilateral ties.”

By S A H Rizvi
Chief Of Bureau, New Delhi
The Times Kuwait

His Excellency Meshal Mustafa J. Alshemali, Ambassador of Kuwait to India, expressed great satisfaction with the successful visit of Kuwait’s Foreign Minister, Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, to India earlier this week, calling it a “historic and groundbreaking” visit that would pave the way for broader and stronger cooperation between the two friendly nations.

“We are extremely happy that Prime Minister Narendra Modi accepted the invitation extended by the Kuwaiti leadership for an early visit, which will provide an enormous boost to bilateral relations, taking them to new heights,” Ambassador Alshemali said.

Speaking to The Times Kuwait, the ambassador added, “India and Kuwait have shared relations dating back more than three hundred years, and the visit of the Foreign Minister to New Delhi has further cemented these bilateral ties.”

Ambassador Alshemali also noted that the relationship between India and Kuwait spans history, from dhows to modern aircraft, with this historic journey of friendship extending across many areas, from traditional practices to modern-day trade and commerce.

“Traditionally, both India and Kuwait have always stood for world peace and stability at all international fora, and that remains the hallmark of our relations,” the ambassador said.

Strengthening bilateral relations

With the recent boost to Indo-Kuwait relations, Ambassador Alshemali expressed confidence that the visit of Kuwait’s Foreign Minister would further broaden the scope of cooperation and strengthen bilateral ties.

This was the first official visit of Abdullah Ali Al Yahya as the Foreign Minister of Kuwait.

The ambassador said the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by minister Al Yahya and his Indian counterpart, External Affairs minister S. Jaishankar, establishes a Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) at the level of Foreign Ministers.

The MoU expands the scope for New Joint Working Groups in areas such as trade, investment, education, technology, agriculture, security, and culture, which will be set up under the JCC.

Kuwait is a traditional partner of India

Kuwait has been a traditional partner of India for centuries, dating back to when seafarers arrived at Indian ports with pearls and dates by dhows, and in return, took timber, spices, and other foodstuffs back home.

The Indian community, the largest expatriate population in Kuwait, now exceeds one million and is widely respected as a key partner in progress.

Suave and soft-spoken, Ambassador Alshemali is an economic and political graduate and has served in various capacities throughout his distinguished career. He was promoted to Ambassador in 2022.

H.E. Meshal Mustafa J. Alshemali took over as the new ambassador to India in April this year.