The recent visit of Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, to Kuwait was a significant milestone in the bilateral relations of the two nations, marking the first such trip by an Indian Prime Minister to the Gulf country in over four decades.
This visit was crucial for a number of reasons. Notably, Kuwait was the final country in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that Modi had not visited since assuming his role as India’s Prime Minister in 2014. This trip highlighted the strengthening of relations between the two nations, marked by the establishment of a strategic partnership and the signing of a defense cooperation pact.
The leaders of both nations emphasized that this collaboration was in their mutual interests and would benefit both populations. The strategic partnership is expected to broaden and deepen historical ties in diverse areas such as trade, investment, defence, security, energy, culture, education, and technology.
Simultaneously, the defense pact will solidify bilateral cooperation in the defense sector, including training, personnel exchange, joint exercises, defense industry cooperation, defense equipment supply, and research and development collaboration. This pact aligns Kuwait with other Gulf nations concerning India’s defense relations.
This agreement is particularly significant in light of the threats to international shipping in the Persian Gulf due to the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran. Ahead of his visit to Kuwait, Modi expressed that the discussions with Kuwait’s leadership would provide an opportunity to devise a roadmap for a forward-looking partnership benefiting both nations and the region.
Ever since Modi assumed office in 2014, the relationship between India and the Gulf region has undergone a significant transformation. Modi’s numerous visits to the economically crucial Gulf region have contributed to this transformation, aided considerably by the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020, which normalised relations between Israel and Arab states.
Currently, the GCC is India’s largest trading partner, accounting for 15.8 percent of India’s total trade compared to 11.6 percent with the European Union. The Gulf region has traditionally been a significant source of energy, investment, and foreign remittance for India, with a third of India’s expatriate population residing there.
In particular, Kuwait is home to approximately 1 million Indians, making them the largest expatriate population in the country. Furthermore, Kuwait is India’s sixth-largest crude supplier, catering to 3 percent of India’s energy needs.
The strengthening of India’s defense engagement with all GCC states aligns with India’s definition of the Indo-Pacific region. Both nations share a common interest in securing the sea lanes in the region, some of the busiest in the world.
This positive development in relations contrasts significantly with the previous apprehension towards the Gulf nations due to their close ties with Pakistan. Today, counterterrorism is a strong aspect of bilateral cooperation, with India successfully securing the extradition of many individuals involved in anti-India activities from Gulf nations.
In recent times, convergences in sectors such as science and technology, healthcare, space, food security, cyber security, artificial intelligence, civil nuclear cooperation, fertilizers, climate change and renewable energy have attributed to the strengthening of the relationship.
Modi’s visit to Kuwait also occurred during a politically volatile period in West Asia due to the Israel-Palestine conflict. However, India has expressed support for a two-state solution and condemned the attacks of October 7, 2023.
The visit also coincided with the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, providing an opportunity for India and Kuwait to resolve any lingering differences and forge new ties for the future.
With the West Asia region in a state of transition, it’s logical for India to reinforce ties with all GCC member states to hedge against disruptions in an uncertain world.
