EAM S. Jaishankar Receives Warm Welcome in Kuwait Amidst Key Bilateral Discussions
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was warmly welcomed by Kuwait’s Foreign Minister, Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, upon his arrival in Kuwait on Sunday. The reception was acknowledged by Jaishankar in a post on X, where he expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality and anticipation for the day’s engagements with Kuwaiti leadership.
During his official visit, Jaishankar is set to meet with FM Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya and other high-level Kuwaiti officials. The visit aims to review and advance various dimensions of India-Kuwait bilateral relations, covering areas such as politics, trade, investment, energy, security, cultural exchanges, consular matters, and people-to-people interactions. Both sides are also expected to discuss regional and international issues of mutual interest.
This visit follows Jaishankar’s earlier official trip to Kuwait from June 9-11, 2021. During that visit, he met with the Prime Minister of Kuwait and delivered a letter from the Indian Prime Minister to the Amir of Kuwait. A notable achievement from that trip was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Recruitment of Domestic Workers. The visit also marked the launch of the joint celebrations commemorating 60 years of diplomatic relations between India and Kuwait, and Jaishankar unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi at the Chancery.
The longstanding and friendly relations between India and Kuwait are deeply rooted in trade. Historically, the Indian Rupee was the legal tender in Kuwait before 1961. Kuwait’s economy, prior to its oil boom, relied heavily on maritime trade, with significant exchanges taking place between Kuwait and India, including goods such as dates, Arabian horses, and pearls traded for wood, cereals, clothes, and spices.
