Kuwait and India agree to enhance defense cooperation in several areas

India and Kuwait held the first meeting of the Joint Defense Committee between the two countries in the capital, New Delhi, on Friday, agreeing to enhance bilateral defense cooperation in the fields of training, military exercises, military medicine, defense industries, and research and development. The Indian Ministry of Defense stated in a press release that the meeting represents an important step toward implementing the objectives outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation between the two countries, which was signed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kuwait in December 2024. The meeting was co-chaired by Amitabh Prasad, Secretary of the Indian Ministry of Defense, and Brigadier Raed Al-Saqran, who led the Kuwaiti delegation comprising five members. The Indian delegation included representatives from the three branches of the Indian Armed Forces, the Directorate General of Defense Production, the Defense Research and Development Organization, the Armed Forces Medical Services, and the Ministry of External Affairs. Brigadier Raed Al-Saqran laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi to honor the martyrs of the country, and the Kuwaiti delegation held discussions with representatives of the Indian defense industry sector regarding potential areas of cooperation. India and Kuwait share friendly relations rooted in historical ties, with diplomatic relations between the two countries established in 1962. These relations were elevated to a strategic partnership during the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Kuwait. Several factors, including historical trade links, shared cultural ties, and the presence of a large Indian community in Kuwait, continue to sustain and develop the deep-rooted and multifaceted relations between the two countries.