India and Kuwait Decide to Establish Joint Ministerial Commission to Expand Ties

On Thursday, India and Kuwait agreed to form a joint ministerial commission to build a foundation for strengthening ties in areas such as energy, trade, investment, manpower and labour, and information technology.

Minister of External Affairs of India, Mr. S Jaishankar and Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah reached the decision during discussions.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Sheikh Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah handed over to Mr. Jaishankar a letter from Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah addressed to Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi.

According to the report, the Kuwaiti foreign minister thanked India for offering 200,000 doses of ‘Made in India’ Covishield vaccines to his country.

During their discussions, the two foreign ministers glanced into contexts to rejuvenate the traditional and friendly alliances. Mr. Jaishankar invited more investment from Kuwait into India in sectors such as energy, infrastructure, food security, healthcare, and education. The joint commission of foreign ministers will direct the partnership and serve as an umbrella body for bilateral engagements.

According to a joint statement, the commission will be focused on developing the best platform to strengthen alliance in the areas of energy, trade, economy, investment, human resources, manpower and labor, finance, culture, information technology, health, education, defense, and security.

Sheikh Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah said, “The “catalogue of cooperation” between India and Kuwait is massive, and there are numerous possibilities for further development. We have every intention and eager to take it (cooperation) to the next level.”

He said, “They (Indians) share our bread and butter with us. They have made significant contributions and continue to make great contributions to our development and strengthening of our cooperation. The Indian community contributes to Kuwait’s security while also being a significant factor of the next generation, as they are heavily involved in our educational system.”

The minister also stated that Kuwait is looking to India and the international community to facilitate in reviving the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.

He said, “We believe that the time has come to restart the peace process between the Palestinians and the Israelis. The entire international community must understand and support the peace process.”

Meanwhile, according to the joint statement, the commission will evaluate agreements reached between the two countries and find appropriate solutions to any challenges that come during their implementation.

Besides the existing joint working groups (JWGs) on hydrocarbons, manpower and mobility, and healthcare, the MEA plans to establish new JWGs on trade and investments, defense and security, etc.

Mr. Jaishankar thanked Kuwait’s leadership and government for hosting a large Indian community and caring for them in the pandemic.

He hoped that the Indian community would be able to return to Kuwait in greater numbers soon. He also voiced India”s ongoing support for Kuwait”s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the report, both parties emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation in the area of health security.

Both ministers also discussed recent regional and international developments and reached an agreement to work together in multilateral forums on issues of common interest.

India is one of Kuwait’s most important trading partners.

There is a huge potential to boost and strengthen alliances in sectors such as energy, trade, healthcare, defense and security, science and technology, information technology, cyber security, culture, education, and tourism.

Mr. Jaishankar had earlier welcomed Kuwait’s foreign minister to India.

Mr. Jaishankar said on Twitter, “I’m delighted to welcome FM @anmas71 of Kuwait, along with @MOS MEA. Productive discussions on our bilateral agenda and regional developments.”

He added that he will co-chair the Joint Commission with him to further strengthen their association.

Source: IBEF