India and Kuwait Strengthen Ties with Strategic Partnership, Sign Defense Pact, and Condemn Terrorism

The Indian and Kuwaiti leaders had Sunday stepped up their engagements to strategic alliance level and agreed on a major defence cooperation deal, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and other Gulf leaders for several hours.

In addition to the Emir, Modi also discussed separately with the Kuwaiti Prime Minister Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and the Crown Prince Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah in order to give new strength to the bilateral ties.

The two parties had four contracts including the MoU on defence. The other agreements will guarantee joint ventures in sports, culture and solar power.

The two prime ministers agreed on a roadmap to enhance strategic partnership on trade, investment, energy, defence, security, health, education, technology, culture and people-to-people, in delegation-level talks, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

The defence MoU will allow for the cooperation in defence industries, Defence equipment supply, Joint exercises, Training, exchange of personnel and experts, and collaboration in research and development, Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary (Overseas Indian Affairs) MEA told a media briefing.

The Kuwaiti partner said his talks with Modi have been "productive", as he put it in a statement posted on ‘X’.

"We talked about everything India-Kuwait related from trade, commerce, people-to-people relations and many other areas. Important MoUs and Agreements were also signed which will strengthen bilateral relationships," he added.

The Indian prime minister also sent a delegation consisting of Kuwaiti Investment Authority and other stakeholders to India to investigate emerging opportunities in energy, defense, medical technology, pharmaceutical and food parks etc.

Modi had come for two days here on Saturday, the first time an Indian prime minister had visited this Gulf country in 43 years.

It was also the Indian side that expressed interest in increasing its cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) under Kuwait’s presidency of the powerful organisation in the meetings.