India & Kuwait sign MoU to set up Joint Commission for Cooperation

India and Kuwait have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a Joint Commission for Cooperation at the Foreign Minister level to strengthen bilateral ties.

The MoU was signed between both countries during Kuwait's Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al Yahya's visit on 3 and 4 December, 2024. 

This was the first visit to India by Abdullah Ali Al Yahya as Kuwait's Foreign Minister.

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister also met the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Prime Minister Modi recalled the strong historical ties between the two countries and said that the one million strong Indian communities living in Kuwait are a strong bridge between the people-to-people relationship between the two countries.

MoU between India and Kuwait 

During his meeting with the Indian External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar, in New Delhi on 4 December, 2024, both leaders discussed bilateral and international issues.

The two countries signed an MoU to establish a Joint Commission for Cooperation at the Foreign Minister level. Under the new MoU, new Joint Working Groups will be established in Education, Investment, Trade, Agriculture, Technology, Security, and Culture. 

The Joint Commission for Cooperation will be an umbrella group that reviews and monitors the relationship between the two countries, and the other Joint Working Groups set up between them, such as those on Hydrocarbons, Health, and Consular matters.

India Kuwait Relationship 

India and Kuwait enjoy close political and economic ties traced back to their history.

Till 1961, the Indian  Rupee was the currency of Kuwait.

Kuwait, a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, is oil-rich and a major exporter of crude petroleum oil and LPG to India.

Around one million Indians live and work in Kuwait, making them the largest expatriate community in Kuwait.

About Kuwait 

Kuwait is a small kingdom situated in the Arabian Peninsula.

It is a Muslim Arab country rich in petroleum oil.

It has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.

It gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1961.

Capital: Kuwait City

Currency: Kuwaiti Dinar

Emir: Sheikh Mishal al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah