India and Kuwait to Establish Joint Commission to Expand Overall Cooperation

New Delhi:  India and Kuwait agreed to establish a joint commission at the foreign ministers' level to serve as a comprehensive mechanism for reviewing and monitoring all aspects of their bilateral relations.

The decision was made during a meeting between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Kuwaiti counterpart, Abdullah Ali Al Yahya, who is visiting India.

Yahya arrived in India on Tuesday for his first official visit.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the two ministers reviewed the entire spectrum of India-Kuwait ties in diverse areas including trade, investment, energy, food security and people to people ties.

The two ministers also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest including the situation in West Asia.

"The two ministers signed an MoU on establishing a Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) at the level of foreign ministers," the MEA said in a statement.

It said new joint working groups in areas of trade, investment, education, technology, agriculture, security and culture, will be set up under the JCC.

"The JCC mechanism will act as an umbrella institutional mechanism to comprehensively review and monitor the entire gamut of our bilateral relations under the new Joint Working Groups and the existing ones in areas including hydrocarbons, health and consular matters," the MEA said.

Foreign Minister Yahya also made a courtesy call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Prime Minister Modi recalled the strong historical bonds between the two countries and conveyed his appreciation to the leadership of Kuwait for the welfare of over a million strong vibrant Indian community in Kuwait, the MEA said.

In a post on 'X', Jaishankar described his talks with Yahya as "productive".

"Discussed the multifaceted India-Kuwait relations and ways to further expand ties. The agreement signed today to institute a Joint Commission for Cooperation #JCC will surely supplant these efforts," he said.

The MEA said India and Kuwait enjoy traditionally friendly relations, which are "rooted in history" and have stood the test of time.

"There have been regular exchanges between both sides which reflect the importance attached to this relationship by both sides," it said.

"The Indian community living in Kuwait serves as a living bridge for strong people to people ties between the two countries," it added.

(with agency inputs)