Kuwait Navy Force Commander Hazaa Al-Alati welcomed on Tuesday the docking of Indian frigate INS Teg at Kuwaiti shores as an extension of the two countries’ close relations.
“Our forefathers launched trade routes with India in the olden days using their wooden ships, while the Kuwait adopted the Indian rupee as its official currency until 1961,” he said in a speech at an event marking the visit at Shuwaikh Port.
The senior military officer also mentioned that the Kuwait Navy plans to attend exercises, hosted by their Indian counterpart early next year.
Captain of INS TEG Ravi Kumar also spoke of the warm welcome and hospitable reception they received during in their first visit to Kuwait. He spoke on the excellent and historical relations between the two countries and also the need to secure the waterways for safe passage for maritime traffic.
In his address to the event, India’s Ambassador to Kuwait Sibi George said the vessel would contribute to maintaining maritime security in the region and the Gulf of Aden.
The ambassador also highlighted his country’s keenness to boost maritime cooperation with its partners to ensure the security of trade and shipping routes in the Indian Ocean, in particular.
The two countries share warm relations across many spectrums, he added, hailing Kuwait as a major partner who has contributed to India’s energy security. This cooperation saw a further expansion at the height of the COVID pandemic after India dispatched a team of professional health workers to Kuwait, who in turn was the largest international provider of vaccines and oxygen to India.