KUWAIT: The historic and successful visit of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kuwait in December 2024 has opened a new chapter in the bilateral relations between India and Kuwait, said Indian Ambassador Dr Adarsh Swaika as he addressed an event hosted by Indian Embassy in Kuwait to celebrate the 76th Republic Day of India at Regency Hotel on January 29. Dr Mahmoud Abdulaziz Bushehri, the Minister of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy, attended the event as chief guest while a host of Kuwaiti dignitaries, ambassadors, high commissioners, members of diplomatic corps and Indian community members attended the celebration. The minister and the ambassador jointly cut a ceremonial cake to mark the occasion.

In his address, the ambassador expressed his gratitude to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah for their patronage and support for a strong India-Kuwait partnership.

Bilateral relations

“Our bilateral relations with the State of Kuwait are indeed historical and time-tested. Bilaterally and multilaterally, there is a good understanding of each other’s interests. We convey our deepest appreciation to His Highness the Amir of Kuwait for his kind gesture of conferring the highest national award of Kuwait ‘The Order of Mubarak Al-Kabeer’ on Prime Minister of India,” the ambassador said in his address.

Talking about Modi’s landmark visit to Kuwait, Dr Swaika said: “One of the most substantive outcomes of the visit was the elevation of our bilateral relations with Kuwait to that of a ‘strategic partnership’.” He also mentioned the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defense cooperation during the visit as another achievement.

“Our trade and investment ties continue to grow with India being one of the top trading partners of Kuwait. Many Indian companies are executing infrastructure projects in Kuwait and many Indian products and services are available in Kuwait. The Tata Motors owned Range Rover and Jaguar cars on display in the foyer are an example. Similarly, there are many Kuwaiti businesses which are deeply entrenched in the Indian business ecosystem,” he pointed out.

Ambassador Dr Adarsh Swaika delivers his speech.

Diaspora

Speaking about the large Indian Diaspora, the ambassador said the number of Indians who call Kuwait their second home has crossed one million now. “These numbers speak of the warmth and cordiality of our relations. We look forward to greater engagement with Kuwait, both at government and people-to-people level, in the coming times. We are also confident that India-GCC relations will be further strengthened under Kuwait’s GCC presidency,” he said.

Congratulating Sheikha Shaikha Ali Jaber Al-Sabah, the ambassador said: “For the first time, the India government has awarded one of its highest civilian awards ‘Padma Shri’ to a Kuwaiti national, Sheikha Shaikha Ali Jaber Al-Sabah for her role in promoting yoga in Kuwait and the region,” he said.

“January 26, 2025 marked the 75th anniversary of our Republic Day, the day when the constitution of India was adopted. In the 75 years that have passed, India has been able to achieve to a large extent the promises that we made ourselves to the constitution. This envisaged securing justice, liberty, equality and equity to all its citizens,” he said.

Growth story

The ambassador said India has embarked on a journey with strong conviction and in the backdrop of its past achievements in line with the vision of Prime Minister Modi to make India a developed nation by 2047. “The India growth story therefore continues to attract the attention of the international community,” he said. Highlighting some important facets of India’s development, the ambassador said India is the world’s most populous country with 65 percent of its population under 35 years of age that makes it the world’s largest working population.

The country is fifth largest global economy and poised to become the third largest soon. India is also a preferred global foreign investment destination with FDI reaching $710 billion in the last 10 years. Talking about India’s foreign policy, he said, “We have consistently supported peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy. We are privileged to speak for the global south and have been a reliable development partner for them,” he said. The celebration came to an end with a dazzling cultural show of different dance forms of India like Bharatanatyam, Garba and Bhangra, depicting the rich cultural diversity of the country.