Press Briefings

Briefing by Secretary (East) on Vice-President’s forthcoming visit to Kuwait

02/04/2009

Director (XP) (Shri Gopal Baglay): Good afternoon friends. Welcome to the External Publicity Division of the Ministry of External Affairs for this briefing in connection with the visit of the Hon’ble Vice-President of India to Kuwait. We have with us today Shri N. Ravi, Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs of India. Kuwait is amongst his vast and onerous responsibilities. We also have, on the Secretary’s right, Shri Anil Trigunayat, the Joint Secretary dealing, with among other countries, Kuwait; and also the Joint Secretary to the Vice-President of India, Shri P. Harish. Many of you would know him from his previous responsibility as Director (XP).

May I now request Secretary (East) to make his opening remarks.

Secretary (East) (Shri N. Ravi): Thank you Gopal. Let me also extend a very warm welcome to all our friends from the media. Today we are gathered to hear a little about the forthcoming visit of Hon’ble Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Vice-President of India to Kuwait. There is a Press Release that will be given to you after the meeting is over.

The visit of the Vice-President is at the invitation of the Crown Prince His Highness Sheikh Nawas. During the visit the Vice-President would be calling on His Highness the Amir of Kuwait and will have substantive discussions with the Kuwaiti leadership. He will also be addressing the captains of Kuwaiti industry and business at the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The visit commences on the 6th (April). On the day of the arrival, the Vice-President would be calling on His Highness the Amir following which the Vice-President would be hosted at lunch by his host the Crown Prince. The meetings with Ministers will take place half on the first day and the other half on the 7th (April). The Ministers that the Vice-President would be receiving are the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and then the Minister of Oil, followed by the Minister of Finance. Subsequently the Vice-President would be addressing the Kuwaiti Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The last high-level visit from Kuwait to India was in June 2006 when the Amir of Kuwait His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was in India. This was the first visit by the Amir, since he assumed his position, to any foreign country. And since the visit of the Amir we have had two sessions of the Joint Commission between India and Kuwait – one in November 2006 followed by another in July 2008. In addition to these two sessions of the Joint Commission we have had various exchanges at the Ministerial and official levels which have sustained the momentum in our bilateral relations across many sectors.

Needless to add, the meetings that have been scheduled for the Vice-President during his stay in Kuwait would cover all bilateral and other regional issues. And, of course, mutual cooperation in all possible fields would also be discussed.

Friends, as you know, Kuwait is a part of our extended neighbourhood. Our relations with Kuwait have been very close, friendly; and most important of all, they go back many centuries. In fact, trade between Kuwait and India goes back a few hundred years. This today translates itself in a very large number of Indians who are resident in Kuwait who are contributing across all sectors of labour in different areas inside Kuwait. At last count we have just under 600,000 people of Indian origin working and living in Kuwait contributing to the economic development of Kuwait.

Kuwait is also an important member in the Gulf Cooperation Council. Among the subjects that will be discussed, apart from trade and investment of course, security in the Gulf, maritime lanes, anti-terrorism, defence, science and technology would be the main areas of focus of our cooperation. As most of you are aware, the Gulf really forms the major source for the purchase of our energy products meaning crude oil and certain other petroleum-refined products.

The energy security for India in its present economic development story is a very important element. This visit would contribute to enhancing this aspect in our bilateral relations and also in our relations with Kuwait. According to one of the records that we have, the very first Consulate ever opened by Kuwait was in Bombay, or Mumbai, after they achieved Independence. Many Kuwaitis, especially members of the royal family, have got very close linkages with India through trade and through visits, and they maintain these links even today.

Kuwait is an important trading partner. We have a bilateral trade of about $ 8.4 billion in 2007-08. It accounts for about 12 per cent of our crude oil imports. Recently the Indian Oil Corporation has renewed its contract for purchase of about nine million metric tonnes of crude and about 351 trillion cubic metres of gas from Kuwait. This gives you an idea about the importance that Kuwait has in our energy security framework. The effort during the visit would be to convert this relationship into a mutually beneficial one where the two partners can look to new areas where they can cooperate.

As I had mentioned a while back, Kuwait hosts about 580,000 Indians who work in Kuwait. Our visit is further aimed at intensifying this trade and economic cooperation through seeking more investments from Kuwait in the infrastructure. As most of you are aware, in the coming decade India can, according to one calculation, absorb as much as 500 billion dollars worth of investment from abroad.

During the forthcoming visit we hope to sign two agreements - one in the field of science and technology cooperation and another would be an educational exchange programme for the years 2009-11. This is expected to initiate functional cooperation in these areas between the respective agencies including in research and development, research projects for application, potential in medium and long term, as well as turnkey projects based on the science and technology capabilities of both countries.

Some of the areas of mutual interest that have been identified are: information and communication technology, biotechnology, small and medium enterprises entrepreneurship, alternative energy sources, and so on.
I think I will stop here and perhaps take a couple of question.

Question: You have mentioned that there are nearly six lakh Indians in Kuwait. Is there any meeting scheduled with representatives of Indian community there of the Vice-President to discuss their problems?

Secretary (East): One interaction is under consideration. During that, representatives of the Indian community would have an opportunity to meet with the Vice-President.

Question: Sir, in the context of recession, are there are concrete proposals on the table when we go there or otherwise? Are we looking for more investments from Kuwait especially in the context of global recession? Also, when we talk about security cooperation, could you amplify on terrorism and maritime security?

Secretary (East): First, in the current scenario of world recession, Kuwait happens to be a country which has got a lot of capital which can be invested and this would be one point of interest for us to encourage Kuwaiti investment into India, particularly in infrastructure sector which can absorb a lot of capital from that country. Needless to add, we have to sort of discuss the framework among officials who are concerned with this. But this point would be touched upon in the meetings. The security cooperation I am specifically referring to is basically the maritime security because a lot of India’s energy imports are entirely from the Gulf into India, and it is our intention to make sure that these supplies arrive on time and at places where we desire them to without being disturbed. In this the exporting countries which are in the Gulf also have a role to play, and both sides would be discussing it at the appropriate levels to make sure that this energy security aspect is addressed in all its angles by both countries.

Question: Will the issue of terrorism also figure in the meetings Vice-President will have with the Ministers there?

Secretary (East): Terrorism is a very important element in our discussions with all world leaders because it is a matter that affects all countries of the world. Without doubt it would be discussed at the appropriate meetings by the Vice-President.

Question: Sir, with this global recession there have been reports of Indian workers being laid off in the Gulf countries. Is this problem also there in Kuwait? If it is, will it be taken up during the meetings?

Secretary (East): So far we have not got any report of any major lay-offs from Kuwait back to India or any other place.

Question: You said that the Defence Minister of Kuwait would also be meeting the Vice-President. Any defence cooperation being discussed between the two countries?

Secretary (East): Training exchanges between the two countries is an ongoing feature. In fact, there was a delegation from Kuwait which was in Delhi about a week or ten days back. The general cooperation between the two countries would be discussed during that meeting.

Question: Sir, you mentioned about the importance of Kuwait to India …(Inaudible)… crude oil and other things also you have talked about. But we are told that a visit of any VVIP from India is taking place after 28 years. Why have there been no high-level visits from India in these many years?

Secretary (East): This visit is taking place within three years of the visit of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait. So, we are looking at it in the modern context as the various opportunities that exist to tighten the cooperation and to diversify it between the two countries. So, we are looking at it purely as a return visit for the visit of His Highness’s high-level visit. Of course, more visits are planned in the future as and when it is convenient for both sides.

Question: When did the last visit take place?

Secretary (East): The one visit that did take place from India was in the 1980s when the then Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi visited Kuwait.

Question: Since our relations with Kuwait are historical and very long, do you anticipate any cultural exchange between the two countries in the near future?

Secretary (East): You may recall that in early December we had an Indo-Arab Cultural Festival in which representatives from all Arab countries took part. I think FICCI organized the festival. The next round would be due in Arab countries. It is a part of the Arab League-India Exchange. So, this would form a part of our ongoing cooperation in the cultural field without doubt.

Director (XP):Thank you friends.

New Delhi
April 2, 2009