NEW DELHI: Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar was in Kuwait on Sunday on a one-day official visit, his first since a devastating fire in the Gulf state killed 45 Indian expat workers.
On arrival in Kuwait City, Jaishankar was received by his Kuwaiti counterpart, Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya.
He also met Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah.
“Honored to call on His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, the Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait. Conveyed the greetings of President and Prime Minister,” he wrote on X.
“India and Kuwait share centuries-old bonds of goodwill and friendship. Our contemporary partnership is expanding steadily. Thank him for his guidance and insights on taking our ties to a higher level.”
The Ministry of External Affairs said ahead of the visit that it would enable both sides to “review various aspects” of bilateral relations, “including political, trade, investment, energy, security, cultural, consular and people-to-people contacts as well as exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.”
Indians are the largest expatriate community in Kuwait. More than 1 million Indian nationals live and work in the Gulf state, accounting for some 22 percent of its population and 30 percent of its workforce.s
Jaishankar’s visit comes two months after 45 Indians were killed when a blaze broke out in a building housing foreign workers in the city of Mangaf.
The Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, ordered authorities to probe events surrounding the fire and vowed to hold those responsible for the tragedy to account.
