File Photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday (December 20, 2024) said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Kuwait from December 21 to 22.
Mr. Modi’s two-day visit to Kuwait will help in opening a new chapter in bilateral ties, the MEA said.
Mr. Jaiswal said “During the visit, PM Modi will visit a labour camp that hosts Indian expat workers.”
“Mr. Modi will also be holding bilateral talks with the Crown Prince and Amir of Kuwait,” Mr. Jaiswal added.
The MEA added that “We are looking at bolstering ties in several areas including defence and trade.”
Mr. Modi is paying the visit at the invitation of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
The last Indian Prime Minister to visit Kuwait was Indira Gandhi in 1981.
India is among the top trading partners of Kuwait. The Indian community is the largest expatriate community in Kuwait.
Kuwait is among India’s top trading partners, with bilateral trade valued at $10.47 billion in the financial year 2023-24.
Kuwait is India’s sixth largest crude supplier, meeting 3 per cent of the country’s energy needs.
Indian exports to Kuwait reached $2 billion for the first time, while investments by the Kuwait Investment Authority in India exceed $10 billion.
India and Kuwait have enjoyed traditionally friendly relations, with links dating back to pre-oil Kuwait when maritime trade with India was the backbone of its economy.
Kuwait’s economy revolved around its fine harbour and maritime activities which included ship building, pearl diving, fishing and voyages to India on wooden dhows carrying dates, Arabian horses and pearls that were traded for wood, cereals, clothes and spices, according to people tracking the ties between the two nations.
The Indian Rupee remained legal tender in Kuwait until 1961, a symbol of the enduring economic and cultural ties.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries were formally established in 1961, with India initially represented by a trade commissioner.
Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jabar Al Sabah came on a private visit to India in July 2017.
The last high-level visit from either side was that of the prime minister of Kuwait to India in 2013.
(With PTI inputs)
Published – December 20, 2024 04:55 pm IST
