On this very special and joyous occasion of the 72nd Anniversary of Independence of India, it is my honor and privilege to extend Warm Greetings and Best Wishes to my fellow countrymen and women in Kuwait. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation and profound gratitude to all well-wishers and friends of India in Kuwait, particularly to the leadership, the people and the Government of Kuwait, for their steadfast commitment to the close and friendly relations between India and Kuwait. I would like to reiterate that Government of India reciprocates this commitment and is keen to further strengthen and expand this mutually enriching relationship.
Strong, multi-faceted bilateral relations between our two friendly countries are rooted in history and nurtured by civilizational linkages and people-to-people affinities. Presence of a large number of Indians in this friendly, peace-loving and vibrant nation of Kuwait is a testimony to the enduring spirit of cooperation and understanding that exists between the two countries and its peoples.
I am quite confident that my dear Indian citizens in Kuwait will continue to uphold high ideals, values and standards here in Kuwait, abide by its laws and regulations and exert their utmost efforts in contributing towards the economic development of this friendly host country of Kuwait.
This year, we complete 72 years of our Independence. It is not just another anniversary year, it is another significant milestone in the process of nation building, given the extraordinary circumstances in which we achieved our freedom. Through painstaking efforts of millions of people and selfless sacrifices by several leaders over decades, we have forged a robust nation with strong and vibrant democratic traditions. India of today is a nation that inspires other nations across the world, and is now widely seen as a beacon of stability and prosperity in increasingly uncertain times. This success of ours is not a result of an accident of history. Ours is a story of triumph of our collective human spirit – of hope, of devotion, of hard work, of dedication to not only the well-being of the people of our nation but also to the larger cause of humanity; this is the pledge we (and our forefathers) made to ourselves long years ago. My dear fellow citizens, we must not rest on our laurels but continue to move ahead together in a determined way in this glorious journey of ours and with greater intensity and speed to redeem our pledge.
Despite the pulls and pressures from various quarters, our democracy continues to thrive and amaze. Just a few months ago, we celebrated our democracy and further deepened its roots by organizing the largest electoral exercise in the world. Voter turnout at the recent general elections in India was the highest in its recorded history; which is another testimony to the success of our strong democratic systems and institutions. For this continued success, we owe a great deal to our founding fathers for the most prized national inheritance in the form of a single, monumental document – the Indian Constitution. Our Constitution, which is widely acclaimed as one of the finest in the world, is an expression of the principles and values we have committed ourselves to; an eternal fountain of wisdom and guidance; a fundamental source of the law of the land and the power of its people; and an encapsulation of the essence of our nationhood.
Rapid technological changes are reshaping today’s world at a pace hitherto unseen in human history, thereby challenging the conventional societal notions. In these uncertain times, we, the People of India, have the historic responsibility to shape the vision of an India for the future, of a New India that adapts to the needs of the time but remains wedded to the roots of our Constitution – which guarantees a pluralistic and inclusive society and celebrates our diversity in its myriad splendid forms.
Friends, this year, we saw yet another historic first with the successful launch of a Mission to Moon (Chandrayaan 2). This is a reinforcement of the technological strides made by India not only in the field of Space science but in every other scientific domain. This should hold us in good stead for assuming a leadership position in many other new age industries like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things, Big Data, 3D Printing, Virtual Reality and Robotics. Indians all over the world can rightly take pride in our achievements that span each and every sector and dimension. Amidst global slowdown, India continues to remain one of the fastest growing major economies in the world making commendable progress in all areas of development. Our economy, which is already the sixth largest in the world (3rd largest on purchasing power basis basis), has now reached approximately US$2.7 trillion in size and is well on its way to reach US$3.0 trillion in the current year, and it is well within our reach to cross the US$ 5 trillion mark in a few years.
To fasten the pace of development, our government is continuing to undertake many structural reforms. Whilst rolling out several transformational reforms in the economy, the Government has also ensured welfare of the common citizens by continued investments in physical and social infrastructure, provision of public utilities, extension of social safety measures, financial inclusion and job creation in small and medium firms. To top it all, we are doing it in an environmentally sustainable manner. In fact, India has taken the lead in terms of its commitment towards a greener sustainable feature by co-founding the International Solar Alliance (ISA), a global alliance of more than 120 countries for development and promotion of solar energy.
ISA is a prime example of how India’s external policy is oriented towards greater good of the world; our commitment to a better and a harmonious world stems from our age old belief in the idea of “One world, one family”. It is also a testimony to India’s unwavering faith in multilateralism; wherein we work with other countries in the world to tackle issues of common concern such as international terrorism, climate change, energy and security and the reform of multilateral institutions, including the UN Security Council. The significance of the Gulf and Middle East region in India’s foreign policy framework cannot be overemphasized. We are each other’s extended neighborhood, and peace, security and stability of countries in this region is imperative for prosperity and economic development of India. GCC is one of our largest trading blocs, meeting a significant percentage of India’s energy requirements and hosts about 8.5 million Indians. India also has a Dialogue Partnership with the Arab League.
I also take this opportunity to inform all our friends that India-Kuwait bilateral relations continue to intensify with increasing number of bilateral visits from both sides. The then Hon’ble External Affairs Minister of India Mrs. Sushma Swaraj (May her soul rest in peace), visited Kuwait in October 2018 during which she called-on His Highness the Amir and other senior dignitaries in the Government of State of Kuwait. My special gratitude to His Excellency Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait, who played an extremely gracious host and contributed to highly successful and productive discussions that covered all the dimensions of our bilateral relations. Generous appreciation for the Indian community living in Kuwait from the Kuwaiti leaders stood out as a consistent theme during the interactions. From Kuwait, former Minister of Labour and Social Affairs H.E. Mrs. Hind Al Sabeeh also paid a successful visit to India in October 2018. Visits at Minister of State level had also taken place. Institutional mechanisms between the two Foreign Ministries held meetings to discuss a wide range of topics of mutual concern and also some issues that needed deeper understanding and greater alignment. Considerable progress was made on cooperative frameworks in the areas of Defence, manpower, external policies etc.
There is a renewed momentum on the bilateral commercial front as well with increasing trade and investment exchanges. A delegation led by the President of Kuwait’s Civil Aviation visited India in January of this year and three business delegations from Kuwait have visited India to participate in various business events.
To facilitate bilateral commerce exchanges further, the Indian Embassy successfully organized a Healthcare Exhibition, with participation from the top Indian hospitals and wellness centres from India, and two roadshows, with participation from business delegations from the States of Goa and Tamil Nadu so far during the year. Embassy also organized various other events, including Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas, 5th International Yoga Day and World Environment Day. Indian companies, both from Public and Private sectors, continue to operate successfully and win contracts on a competitive basis. Home to one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world, Kuwait is a major investing nation while India is highly rated profitable investment destination; this synergy, given the level of confidence in the relationship, needs to be explored further for mutual benefit.
As I had highlighted right at the beginning, it is the people-to-people ties that forms the bedrock of this strong and enduring relationship. Indians form the largest expatriate community in Kuwait and are present in almost all segments of Kuwaiti economy. Each one of the members of the Indian Community in Kuwait has been a good brand Ambassador for India, and has played a crucial role in the positive development of our bilateral relations.
In all my interactions with the Kuwaiti leadership at various levels, I have been reassured that the Indian Community in Kuwait enjoys the trust and confidence of the friendly people of Kuwait because of the community’s law-abiding nature, its peaceful character, work ethic and cultural compatibility.
It is the responsibility of all of us now to reciprocate this trust and confidence reposed by the Government and the people of the friendly State of Kuwait by abiding by the values and the principles we stand for as a proud nation. The embassy will continue to accord the highest priority to the welfare and well-being of the Indian Community in Kuwait. In cooperation with the Kuwaiti authorities, Community associations, and well-wishers & volunteers of the Community, the Embassy will endeavor to address all issues and ensure the welfare of the Indian Community in Kuwait so that it can continue to provide a strong impetus to India-Kuwait relations.
Once again, on this joyous and proud occasion of the 72nd Anniversary of our Independence Day, I wish every Indian in Kuwait good health and happiness. I also take this opportunity to extend festive greetings on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha and to convey my Best Wishes for the continued good health and well-being of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, and to the friendly people of the State of Kuwait.
H.E. K. Jeeva Sagar
Ambassador of India to Kuwait