New Delhi : India and Kuwait agreed to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation across several areas, including training, military exercises, military medicine, staff talks, defence industry and research and development, during the inaugural meeting of the India-Kuwait Joint Defence Committee (JDC) held in New Delhi on August 28.
The first JDC meeting marked an important step towards implementing the objectives outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation signed between India and Kuwait during the visit of the Prime Minister of India to Kuwait in December 2024.
The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary Amitabh Prasad and Brigadier General Raed Alsakran, who led the five-member Kuwaiti delegation.
The Indian delegation included representatives from the three Services, the Department of Defence Production, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Armed Forces Medical Services and the Ministry of External Affairs.
Ahead of the meeting, Brigadier General Raed Alsakran laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi and paid tribute to India’s fallen soldiers.
On the first day of its visit, the Kuwaiti delegation also visited DPSU Bhawan in New Delhi, where it held discussions with representatives of the Indian defence industry on potential areas of mutual cooperation. An additional industry interaction with the Kuwaiti delegation is scheduled for the second day of the visit.
India and Kuwait share traditionally warm and friendly relations based on longstanding historical ties. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1962.
The relationship was elevated to a Strategic Partnership during the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Kuwait in December 2024. Geographical proximity, historic trade links, cultural connections and the presence of a large Indian community in Kuwait continue to support the close and multifaceted relationship between the two countries.