Kuwait City: India and Kuwait on Sunday elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held extensive talks with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

In their discussions, the two leaders focused on boosting ties in areas of information technology, pharmaceuticals, fintech, infrastructure and security.

In a post on ‘X’, Modi described his meeting with the Emir as “excellent”.

“Excellent meeting with His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah. We discussed cooperation in key sectors like pharmaceuticals, IT, FinTech, Infrastructure and security,” he said.

“In line with the close ties between our nations, we have elevated our partnership to a strategic one and I am optimistic that our friendship will flourish even more in the times to come,” he added.

Modi arrived here on Saturday on a two-day trip, the first to this Gulf nation by an Indian prime minister in 43 years.

The prime minister has also met Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the talks between the prime minister and the Emir focused on exploring ways to take India-Kuwait ties to “new heights”.

PM Modi expressed his gratitude to the Emir for the welfare of the Indian community in Kuwait, he said.

On Saturday, Modi addressed an Indian community event and visited an Indian labour camp. The Indian community is the largest expatriate community in Kuwait.

The last Indian prime minister to visit Kuwait was Indira Gandhi in 1981.

The Gulf nation is among India’s top trading partners, with bilateral trade valued at USD 10.47 billion in the financial year 2023-24.

Kuwait is India’s sixth largest crude supplier, meeting 3 per cent of the country’s energy needs.

Indian exports to Kuwait reached USD 2 billion for the first time, while investments by the Kuwait Investment Authority in India exceeded USD 10 billion.

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