India and Kuwait on Friday held the inaugural meeting of their Joint Defence Committee (JDC) in New Delhi, with the two sides agreeing to step up cooperation in military training, exercises, medicine, staff talks, defence industry and research and development.
The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary Amitabh Prasad and Brigadier General Raed Alsakran, who led a 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), Armed Forces Medical Services and the Ministry of External Affairs.
The meeting is seen as an important step towards implementing the objectives of the Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kuwait in December 2024.
Ahead of the talks, Alsakran laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi and paid homage to India’s fallen soldiers.
The Kuwaiti delegation also visited DPSU Bhawan, where it held discussions with representatives of the Indian defence industry on potential areas of cooperation. An industry interaction is scheduled to be held on the second day of the delegation’s visit.
India and Kuwait have traditionally shared close and friendly relations, with diplomatic ties established in 1962. The relationship was elevated to a Strategic Partnership during Modi’s visit to Kuwait in December 2024.
Historical trade links, geographical proximity, cultural ties and the presence of a large Indian community in Kuwait have continued to strengthen the longstanding bilateral relationship.
