Why PM Narendra Modi’s Kuwait visit is special
Why PM Narendra Modi’s Kuwait visit is special
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is heading for a two-day visit to Kuwait, starting today (December 21). The trip assumes importance as he is the first Indian premier to travel to the West Asian country in over four decades
 "Why PM Narendra Modi’s Kuwait visit is special")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has embarked on a two-day visit to Kuwait on the weekend. This will be the first visit by an Indian prime minister to the West Asian nation in 43 years.
He will be in Kuwait from December 21 to 22, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, on Wednesday (December 18). Kuwait was the only Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) country that Modi had not visited until now.
Let’s take a closer look.
What’s the agenda?
PM Modi is travelling to the West Asian country at the invitation of Kuwait’s Amir, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
During the two-day visit, he will hold discussions with the country’s leadership. Modi will also interact with the Indian community in Kuwait.
As per a Financial Express report, the topics of energy security, expanding economic collaboration, and security cooperation could come up during the talks between PM Modi and Kuwait’s leaders.
“The visit will provide an opportunity to further strengthen the multifaceted ties between India and Kuwait,” the MEA said in its statement.
India-Kuwait ties
India and Kuwait have traditionally enjoyed “close and friendly” ties, as per the MEA.
New Delhi established diplomatic relations with Kuwait in 1961.
The Gulf country is one of India’s top trading partners, with bilateral trade touching $10.47 billion in FY 2023-24. India’s exports to Kuwait increased 34 per cent from $1.56 billion to $2.1 billion, between 2022-23 and 2023-24.
Investments by the Kuwait Investment Authority in India have surpassed $10 billion.
Kuwait is a key source of oil for India, emerging as the sixth largest crude supplier. It accounts for 3 per cent of India’s energy needs.
India and Kuwait also share cultural connections and Indians form the largest expatriate community there.
The West Asian country has nearly one million (10 lakh) Indians, who comprise 21 per cent of its total population and about 30 per cent of its total workforce.
Several Indians are working in Kuwait’s healthcare sector, including at least 1,000 doctors, 500 dentists and around 24,000 nurses, as per ThePrint report.
The MEA said in its statement that ties between India and Kuwait have been “underpinned by economic and strong people-to-people linkages.”
The two countries have also supported each other in their time of need. During the COVID-19 pandemic, India dispatched medical teams to Kuwait, while Kuwait supplied over 425 metric tons of liquid medical oxygen and 12,500 oxygen cylinders to India.
Why the trip matters
PM Modi is the first Indian prime minister to visit Kuwait in over four decades.
Indira Gandhi was the last Indian PM to visit Kuwait in 1981. The then Vice President Hamid Ansari was the last Indian Head of State or Government to travel to the West Asian country in 2009.
At the ministerial level, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Kuwait on August 18 this year, calling on the Crown Prince of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, and Prime Minister Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
Earlier this month, Kuwait Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya was on an official visit to India. He and his Indian counterpart, Jaishankar, signed an MoU on establishing a Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) at the level of foreign ministers.
PM Modi’s visit also assumes importance as it comes in the backdrop of Israel’s war in Gaza and the recent ouster of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
Kuwait currently holds the presidency of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which makes it a key player in shaping the response of these nations to geopolitical challenges, as per Financial Express.
On December 1, Kuwait hosted the 45th session of the GCC Summit, where the leaders of the regional forum condemned Israel’s aggression against Lebanon and called for an end to the war in Gaza.
It also urged the global community to protect innocent civilians and to ensure “the opening of safe corridors and the arrival of urgent humanitarian aid.”
As Times of India noted, India has also called for a ceasefire in Gaza, and to ensure that the conflict does not spill over to the rest of West Asia. India and Kuwait could hold talks about the ongoing conflict in the region.
PM Modi’s Kuwait visit comes as India expands diplomacy in West Asia.
“The PM has visited the region frequently — seven times to the UAE, two times each to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and once to Bahrain and Oman. His travels to Kuwait this weekend closes the circle on this comprehensive engagement,” senior journalist C Raja Mohan wrote for Indian Express.
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