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Your
Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah,
The Amir of the State of Kuwait,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the
Government and people of India, it gives me great
pleasure to welcome Your Highness and the
distinguished members of your delegation on the
occasion of your State Visit to India. It is a
matter of great joy for us to receive you as a good
friend from a great country. We are very happy to
note that India is among the first countries visited
by you outside the Gulf after you assumed the office
of the Amir of Kuwait.
As the world’s largest
democracy, India rejoices in the fact that Kuwait
also enjoys strong democratic traditions. We are
pleased to note Your Highness’s contribution towards
empowerment and enfranchisement of women in Kuwait.
Your Highness’s interest in providing for a strong
and vibrant Kuwait which moves ahead with the times
is a factor of stability for the region and for
peace and prosperity of the friendly people of
Kuwait.
India and Kuwait have
a shared history. We have known each other for
centuries and since the independence of both our
countries, our relationship has flourished to mutual
benefit. India has been a centre of higher education
for Kuwaitis, particularly of the older generation.
After the discovery of oil and particularly since
the 1970s, our links have been nurtured and
developed not only through our traditionally close
and historical ties but also through the active
presence of the half a million members of the Indian
expatriate community, who have made Kuwait their
home. This community forms an umbilical link with
India and acts as a strong bond in the furtherance
of our partnership. While the Indian diaspora in
Kuwait has contributed to the welfare and
development of your great country, we appreciate the
care and assistance, which has been extended by Your
Highness to the members of the Indian community.
Political relations
between our two countries have never been stronger
than now and they are free from any problems or
issues. This should enable us to provide a strong
platform for the further consolidation and
development of our mutually beneficial cooperation
in other areas. However, Your Highness, the economic
and commercial cooperation between our two countries
is not commensurate with its true potential. It is
in this context, that we are happy to note that Your
Highness’s delegation includes a strong business
component. I hope that during your visit, the
captains of our industry would be able to identify
areas where they could cooperate and participate in
each other's development. The opportunities are
immense and the time is right.
We also see Kuwait as
an important partner in providing for India’s energy
security. Kuwait is India’s second largest source
for crude oil imports. As India rapidly expands its
economy in the coming years, our cooperation in the
energy and related sectors will be an important area
underpinning our partnership. We could also be a
partner in the exploration of your Oil and Natural
Gas Resources.
India would be happy
to share its experience with Kuwait as also its
expertise in the fields of Science and Technology,
Information Technology, Biotechnology, healthcare
and higher education. The specific areas of
cooperation could include Agriculture - especially
desert cultivation and collaborations between our
higher institutes of Technology. We would be happy
to welcome investment by Kuwaiti agencies in various
sectors including energy, infrastructure development
and manufacturing. While there are many challenges,
the opportunities are immense and there are no
barriers, which should come in the way as we
consolidate our cooperation in the economic,
commercial, and investment related areas.
Your Highness’s
discussions during the visit would have confirmed
the mutuality of our interests and the identity of
our views on various issues confronting humanity in
the 21st century. We share a similar outlook on
matters relating to economic development,
environment protection, non-proliferation and the
war against terrorism. Both India and Kuwait are
sincerely interested in seeing peace and stability
return to Iraq in the interest of its people and the
region. We both support the establishment of an
independent and viable State of Palestine. India and
Kuwait would like to see the issues relating to Iran
being settled through dialogue and consultations
with respect for international law and obligations
by each and every party concerned. India and the
Gulf Cooperation Council have been working together
towards a Free Trade Arrangement, which would
provide greater cooperation between India and the
region and between South Asia and the Gulf
Cooperation Council. We look forward to working very
closely with Your Highness to provide a greater
enrichment and content to our bilateral partnership
as also for the betterment of our people.
In conclusion, let me
wish you, Your Highness, and the distinguished
members of your delegation a very pleasant and
useful stay in India.
Thank You!
New Delhi
June 15, 2006 |
