EAM Sushma Swaraj to hold several meetings with leaders of Kuwait to bolster bilateral ties

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will today hold several bilateral meetings with the leaders of Kuwait with the aim to bolster ties between the two countries. She will meet her counterpart Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah and will also call on Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Ms Swaraj reached Kuwait last evening on the second and final leg of her visit to West Asia. She interacted with the Indian Community and paid floral tributes at Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi's statue at the Indian Embassy. This is Ms Swaraj's maiden visit to the Gulf nation.

The External Affairs Minister reached Kuwait from Doha where she met Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani and her counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al



Thani. 

The External Affairs Ministry said in a statement that both sides discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and signed a declaration to establish Joint Commission at the level of Foreign Minister to periodically review progress in various cooperation initiatives.

This is  Sushma Swaraj's first official visit to Kuwait. Kuwait is home to around 10 lakh Indians, who form the largest expatriate community in the Gulf nation. The strong Indian community contributes significantly to the economic and scientific development of Kuwait. The visit to the two West Asian countries is in pursuit of India's objective of enhanced engagement with the Gulf region, which is in India's extended neighbourhood.