India and Kuwait on Wednesday agreed on measures to bolster their cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, technology and security.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar and his visiting Kuwaiti counterpart Abdullah Ali Al Yahya reviewed bilateral ties at a meeting and signed a memorandum of understanding on setting up a Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) at the level of foreign ministers.
New joint working groups will be set up under the JCC in the areas of trade, investment, education, technology, agriculture, security and culture, the external affairs ministry said in a statement.
The JCC will act as an umbrella mechanism to review and monitor the overall bilateral relationship through the new joint working groups and existing ones in areas such as hydrocarbons, health and consular matters.
The ministers reviewed relations in key areas such as trade, investment, energy, food security and people-to-people ties. They also discussed regional and international issues.
“The situation in the Middle East is a matter of very deep concern. It’s a subject on which it’s important that India and Kuwait communicate with each other and work together,” Jaishankar said in his opening remarks.
Jaishankar thanked the Kuwaiti government for taking care of the one million-strong Indian community in the country, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Yahya also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who recalled the strong bonds between the two countries and conveyed his appreciation to the Kuwaiti leadership for ensuring the welfare of the Indian community.
“I thank the Kuwaiti leadership for the welfare of the Indian nationals. India is committed to advance our deep-rooted and historical ties for the benefit of our people and the region,” Modi said in a post on X.
