India FM lauds “historic, deep” ties with Kuwait

By Nasser Al-Khemri KUWAIT, Kuwait and India are bound by "historic and deep" bilateral relations, New Delhi's Foreign Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Sunday, citing "common viewpoints" on a number of pressing matters. Remittances from more than a million Indians working in Kuwait total some USD one billion per year, the minister told KUNA as he embarked on an official visit accompanied by a high-level delegation, pointing out that Kuwaiti investments in India have been on an upward trajectory. Bilateral trade volume ranges between USD 10 to 15 billion, the minister said, while a free trade agreement between New Delhi and Gulf Arab states is in the works as part of efforts to boost "broader cooperation," across a myriad of fields, he added. Describing the Gulf Arab region as an "integral partner," to India, the foreign minister said nearly a quarter of India's diaspora abroad work there, while some 30 percent of India's oil needs are met by Gulf Arab exports, according to the minister. Sourc e : Kuwait News Agency