Kuwait City:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored India’s historical and cultural ties with the Gulf region, and the significant contributions of the Indian diaspora in the Gulf nation. Highlighting India’s soft power, he emphasised its civilisational ethos, cultural influence through cinema and cuisine, and its tourism sector.

In an interview with Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Saturday, PM Modi also reaffirmed India’s role in addressing global challenges such as climate change, food and energy security and advocating for the Global South.

PM Modi was on a two-day visit to the Gulf nation of Kuwait at the invitation of Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Emir of the State of Kuwait. This was the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Kuwait in 43 years.

Responding to a question about how India’s soft power can influence its global outreach, PM Modi said India’s civilisational ethos and heritage form the foundation of its soft power, KUNA reported. PM Modi further asserted that India’s soft power has grown significantly alongside its expanding global presence, particularly over the last decade.

“In Kuwait and the Gulf, Indian movies stand out as a prime example of this cultural connection. We have seen that people in Kuwait have a special liking for Indian cinema. I am told that there are three weekly shows on Kuwait Television on Indian movies and actors,” he said.

“Similarly, we share several attributes in our cuisine and culinary traditions. Centuries of people-to-people contact have also resulted in linguistic similarities and shared vocabulary. India’s diversity and emphasis on peace, tolerance and coexistence resonate with the values of Kuwait’s multicultural society. Recently, a Kuwaiti scholar translated Ramayana and Mahabharata in Arabic,” PM Modi added.

Speaking about the tourism sector, PM Modi said, “India’s tourism sector offers another dimension of soft power. With 43 UNESCO World Heritage sites, coupled with ongoing efforts to enhance visitor facilities, India provides a unique blend of history, culture, and natural beauty.”

“For a society like Kuwait, with which India shares a rich historical connection, India’s tourism opportunities are an invitation to explore and deepen the shared cultural ties,” he added.

He added that Indians in Kuwait have contributed immensely to the development of the country as doctors, businessmen, construction workers, engineers, nurses and other professionals.

“As we elevate the level of our relationship with Kuwait to a strategic partnership, I believe the role of the Indian community will only grow in importance. I am confident that Kuwaiti authorities recognise the immense contributions of this vibrant community and will continue to provide encouragement and support,” PM Modi added.

Asked about Kuwaiti-Indian energy relations, PM Modi said that energy is an important pillar of the bilateral partnership, estimating that last year, trade exchange crossed USD 10 billion, which reflects the deep trust and mutual benefit underpinning this partnership, KUNA reported.

“Both nations have consistently ranked among the top 10 trading partners in the energy sector. Indian companies actively engage in importing crude oil, LPG, and petroleum products from Kuwait while also exporting petroleum products to Kuwait. Currently, Kuwait stands as India’s 6th largest crude supplier and 4th largest LPG supplier,” PM Modi said.

He added, “In addition to conventional hydrocarbon trade, there exist a plethora of new areas for cooperation, including an entire value chain of oil and gas, as well as joint efforts in low-carbon solutions such as green hydrogen, biofuels, and carbon capture technologies.”

On being asked about India’s global role as a voice of the Global South, PM Modi stated, “India is privileged to speak for the Global South. We share much in common with our fellow developing countries – from history to the aspirations of our people. We therefore not only understand but feel their concerns. The ongoing conflicts and the resultant challenges of food, fuel and fertiliser have hit the global south hard. They are also disproportionately bearing the brunt of climate change

He hailed his country as a reliable development partner for the global south, a first responder in times of crises for them and for others, a leader on climate action and a champion of inclusive growth and development.”

He added, “We gave voice to the concerns of developing countries when we assumed the Presidency of the G20. We hosted three Voice of the Global South Summits to amplify and act on the pressing needs of people. We were honoured that the African Union became a permanent member of the G20 at the New Delhi Summit. This was a historic achievement for the Global South, and a proud moment for us.”

Regarding regional and global conflicts, involving Gaza and Ukraine, PM Modi emphasised that solutions cannot be found on the battlefield, stressing the importance of sincere and practical engagement between stakeholders for bridging differences and achieving negotiated settlements, KUNA reported.

He highlighted that India recently provided 70 tons of humanitarian aid and nearly 65 tons of medicines to Gaza, along with contributing USD 10 million to UNRWA over the past two years.

PM Modi reaffirmed India’s commitment to a negotiated two-state solution aimed at establishing a sovereign, independent, and viable Palestinian state with secure and recognised borders.

On environmental sustainability initiatives, PM Modi said, “We are facing several challenges, but none more pressing than climate change. Our planet is under stress. We need urgent collective action and one that involves the entire global community. No one can do it alone. We must come together. India wants to lead and bring all countries together to foster pro-planet action. This is the idea behind our championing various green global initiatives.”

He also regarded the India-led green initiatives as platforms for all nations to collectively address climate change, promote environmental sustainability, build disaster-resilient infrastructure, and drive the global transition towards clean energy, KUNA reported.

PM Modi also attended the opening ceremony of the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup in Kuwait on Saturday as the ‘Guest of Honour’ of Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Emir of Kuwait and Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, Crown Prince of Kuwait received PM Modi at Bayan Palace on Sunday and was accorded a ceremonial welcome.

PM Modi expressed his deep appreciation to Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah for conferring on him the highest award of the State of Kuwait ‘The Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer.’ The leaders exchanged views on bilateral, global, regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest.

The two sides also recalled the centuries-old historical ties rooted in shared history and cultural affinities. They noted with satisfaction the regular interactions at various levels which have helped in generating and sustaining the momentum in the multifaceted bilateral cooperation. Both sides emphasised sustaining the recent momentum in high-level exchanges through regular bilateral exchanges at Ministerial and senior-official levels.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Kuwait’s highest honour ‘The Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer’ today. This was the 20th international honour given to PM Modi by a country.

The ‘Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer’ is the knighthood order of Kuwait.

It is awarded to heads of state, foreign sovereigns, and to members of foreign royal families as a sign of friendship.

It has been previously awarded to leaders such as Bill Clinton, Prince Charles, and George Bush.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Kuwait’s highest honour ‘The Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer’ today. This was the 20th international honour given to PM Modi by a country.

The ‘Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer’ is the knighthood order of Kuwait.

It is awarded to heads of state, foreign sovereigns, and to members of foreign royal families as a sign of friendship.

It has been previously awarded to leaders such as Bill Clinton, Prince Charles, and George Bush.

PM Modi was given a ceremonial guard of honour at the Bayan Palace, Kuwait. The Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah, was present during the ceremony.

The prime minister is on a two-day visit to the Gulf nation at the invitation of Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. This is the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Kuwait in 43 years.

The Indian community in Kuwait expressed a wave of excitement and enthusiasm ahead of PM Modi’s address at the community event ‘Hala Modi’ at Shaikh Saad Al Abdullah Indoor Sports Complex.

On Saturday, he visited the Gulf Spic employees camp in Kuwait, where he spoke to Indian workers and highlighted their contribution to the country’s development.

Kuwait City:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day historic visit to Kuwait, was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour at the Bayan Palace on Sanday, ahead of his talks with Kuwait’s top leadership. Narendra Modi reached Kuwait on Saturday for a two-day visit, the first for any Indian Prime Minister in 43 years. The last Indian prime minister to visit Kuwait was Indira Gandhi in 1981.

The Prime Minister is visiting Kuwait at the invitation of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. After receiving the grand welcome, Modi held extensive talks with the Amir, Crown Prince Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah and his Kuwaiti counterpart.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the Bayan Palace, Kuwait

Video courtesy: ANI/X#PMModiInKuwait pic.twitter.com/ehPpunhtos

— NDTV (@ndtv) December 22, 2024

Kuwait is India’s critical trade partner, ranking sixth-largest supplier of crude oil and meeting 3 per cent of India’s energy needs.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi took to X and highlighted multifaceted ties between India and Kuwait. “India and Kuwait share multifaceted ties rooted in history, culture and mutual respect. Our strong relations extend across energy, trade and investments. We also have a vibrant Indian diaspora strengthening the friendship further,” he wrote.

Earlier as the first programme of his visit to Kuwait, PM Modi visited the Gulf Spic Labour Camp in the Mina Abdullah area of Kuwait with a workforce of around 1,500 Indian nationals. He interacted with a cross-section of Indian workers from different states of India, enquired about their well-being, and also sat at a table with some of them when snacks were served.

Met Indian workers at the Mina Abdullah. Here are highlights of a very special and memorable interaction… pic.twitter.com/9tuIE67f6r

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 22, 2024

Prime Minister Modi’s visit comes months after over 45 Indians were killed in a devastating fire in a building housing foreign workers in southern Kuwait’s Mangaf locality in June. “The visit to the labour camp is symbolic of the importance attached by the Prime Minister to the welfare of Indian workers abroad,” an MEA statement said.

Indians constitute 21 per cent (1 million) of the total population of Kuwait and 30 per cent of its workforce (approx 9 lakhs). Indian workers top the Private Sector as well as domestic sector (DSW) workforce list, according to the Indian Embassy in Kuwait.

Kuwait City:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day trip to Kuwait, is likely to meet the country’s Crown Prince Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah on Sunday. This is the first visit of an Indian prime minister to Kuwait in 43 years.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Kuwait-based retired Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Mangal Sain Handa, as his granddaughter, Shreya Juneja, requested him to meet her 101-year-old grandfather.

Ms Juneja’s post read, “Humble request to Hon’ble PM @narendramodi to meet my 101-year-old Nanaji, ex-IFS officer, in Kuwait during tmrw’s interaction with the Indian Diaspora. Nana @MangalSainHanda is a great admirer of yours. Details have been emailed to your office.”

Humble request to Hon’ble PM @narendramodi to meet my 101-year-old Nanaji, ex-IFS officer, in Kuwait during tmrw’s interaction with the Indian Diaspora. Nana @MangalSainHanda is a great admirer of yours. Details have been emailed to your office
Cc: @PMOIndia @sjaishankaroffc

— Shreya Juneja (@_ShreyaJuneja) December 20, 2024

To everyone’s surprise, Mr Modi gave a positive response and said that he looked forward to meeting him in Kuwait. “Absolutely! I look forward to meeting @MangalSainHanda Ji in Kuwait today”, he replied to Juneja on X.

Absolutely! I look forward to meeting @MangalSainHanda Ji in Kuwait today. https://t.co/xswtQ0tfSY

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 21, 2024

His son Dilip Handa told news agency ANI, “This is an experience of a lifetime. PM Modi said he especially came here to meet him (his father). We are grateful to Prime Minister Modi…”

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets 101-year-old Ex-IFS officer Mangal Sain Handa in Kuwait City.

PM Modi is on a 2-day visit to Kuwait at the invitation of Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of the State of Kuwait. This is the first visit of an Indian… pic.twitter.com/T2qpgJm422

— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2024

About one million Indians are living in Kuwait as expatriates, the largest diaspora community in the country and Mr Modi interacted with the Indian community there.

His visit to Kuwait is significant in terms of the bilateral relationship between the two countries, especially since this is the first in 43 years by an Indian premier. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had visited Kuwait last in 1981.

He will be in Kuwait for two days, 21-22nd December 2024 and his visit was undertaken at the invitation of the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

“The Indian community is the largest expatriate community in Kuwait. The visit will provide an opportunity to further strengthen the multifaceted ties between India and Kuwait,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said ahead of PM Modi’s visit.

Over the next two days, the Prime Minister is expected to hold several key meetings.
 

New Delhi:

It is after 43 years that an Indian Prime Minister is visiting Kuwait, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the Indian community, adding that he is here to celebrate their achievements. The PM said India has manpower, skills needed by New Kuwait.

New Delhi:

A woman from Andhra Pradesh who went to Kuwait to earn a living has put out a video alleging that she has endured severe physical and mental abuse at the hands of her employer.

In the video, Kavita, who is from Annamayya district, has appealed to Andhra Pradesh Minister Ram Prasad Reddy to “save her” from torture. “Please save me, sir. I am being tortured here. I have two children and a disabled husband. I came to Kuwait for their sake, but I am being subjected to injustice here,” she says.

Kavitha’s situation allegedly worsened as her employer locked her in a room in Kuwait, and denied her food. She claimed she was under house arrest at her workplace and the agent who facilitated her travel had threatened her and blocked her phone, depriving her of any means of communication with family or authorities.

In response to her appeal, Mr Reddy wrote to Union Minister Kondapalli Srinivas, seeking his intervention to ensure Kavitha’s safe return to India. Kavitha’s case highlights the suffering of many migrant workers in the Gulf countries, where they are exploited and abused under the Kafala system that binds their legal status to their local employers.

Kuwait City:

Kuwait’s emir on Saturday named a new crown prince, Sheikh Sabah Khaled al-Hamad al-Sabah, state media reported, just six months after taking over the throne and weeks after suspending parliament.

The 71-year-old sheikh was the Gulf state’s foreign minister from 2011 to 2019 and then prime minister until 2022.

Kuwait entered new political turbulence in May when the 83-year-old emir, Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, dissolved parliament just six weeks after elections. He also suspended some provisions of the constitution.

He then named the second government since he took over as head of state in December.

Unlike other Gulf states, Kuwait has an influential parliament while most power remains with the royal family.

While lawmakers have powers their regular battles with the government causes repeat crises.

Kuwait has about seven percent of global oil reserves and one of the world’s biggest sovereign wealth funds. But it has struggled in recent years to diversify its economy away from reliance on oil.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kuwait City:

Kuwait’s emir on Saturday named a new crown prince, Sheikh Sabah Khaled al-Hamad al-Sabah, state media reported, just six months after taking over the throne and weeks after suspending parliament.

The 71-year-old sheikh was the Gulf state’s foreign minister from 2011 to 2019 and then prime minister until 2022.

Kuwait entered new political turbulence in May when the 83-year-old emir, Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, dissolved parliament just six weeks after elections. He also suspended some provisions of the constitution.

He then named the second government since he took over as head of state in December.

Unlike other Gulf states, Kuwait has an influential parliament while most power remains with the royal family.

While lawmakers have powers their regular battles with the government causes repeat crises.

Kuwait has about seven percent of global oil reserves and one of the world’s biggest sovereign wealth funds. But it has struggled in recent years to diversify its economy away from reliance on oil.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chennai:

The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday requested the Centre to secure through diplomatic channels the release of four fishermen from the state detained by the Kuwait Coastal Police.

The men belonging to Ramanthapuram district have been incarcerated in the prison there since their arrest on December 5, last year and Chief Minister M K Stalin had already flagged their arrest and demanded their immediate release, state Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena said.

In a release, he reminded that the chief minister had in a letter dated February 9, sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in ensuring the release of the fishermen by initiating diplomatic efforts.

“Since the men have not been released despite the state government’s repeated insistence, the Chief Secretary wrote a reminder letter to the External Affairs Secretary in this regard,” the release said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)