KUWAIT: Indian Ambassador to Kuwait Dr Adarsh Swaika stated in a press meeting that the recent visit of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kuwait was a defining moment in the history of India-Kuwait relations. “This visit, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in over four decades, was not only symbolic of the deep bond between our two countries but also substantive in advancing key areas of cooperation.”

The Indian ambassador emphasized that during this landmark visit, Modi extended formal invitations to His Highness the Amir, His Highness the Crown Prince, and His Highness the Prime Minister to visit India, reflecting the deep commitment to strengthening ties.

The visit also underscored the Indian ambassador’s hope to see collaboration in healthcare especially seeing Indian pharmaceutical factories and hospitals in the country, and the possibility of opening local chapters of Indian universities. “We can look at the establishment of Indian university campuses in Kuwait. We are also looking at the accreditation of Indian universities in the NBAQ list, which is a work in progress. We will also see Kuwaiti diplomats being trained at the Indian Foreign Service Academy, which is now part of the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service.”

On the international and multilateral framework, the ambassador pointed out that both sides are already negotiating for a free trade agreement with GCC. “We also have a joint action plan between India and GCC since we established for the first time the India-GCC foreign ministers meeting, a strategic dialogue in September this year. And therefore, a lot of things are ongoing in terms of (GCC-India ties). So, we feel that under Kuwait’s presidency of GCC, we will see a further acceleration of our India-GCC ties.”

He continued that Prime Minister Modi’s visit also marked a significant step forward in institutionalizing bilateral relations. “The establishment of a joint commission for cooperation, elevated to the foreign ministers’ level, will ensure regular and structured dialogue. Furthermore, seven new joint working groups were announced, focusing on vital areas such as food security, investment, defense, education, culture, and technology. These initiatives reflect a shared commitment to addressing contemporary challenges and leveraging opportunities for mutual benefit.”

This effectively ensures that all aspects of collaboration will now be overseen by both foreign ministers. “For instance, trade which is a critical pillar of the bilateral relationship has ranged between $10 billion and $17 billion over the past decade. However, there has been no institutional framework for discussions between the commerce ministries of the two countries. Similarly, no formal mechanism existed for communication between the respective investment authorities.”

The ambassador also announced that the embassy will host a series of diverse events next April to mark the 250th anniversary of the historical relations between the two countries. These events will feature a display of Indian antiques, manuscripts, paper currencies, stamps, and more.