India and Kuwait are expected to focus on shoring up ties in a range of key areas including defence and trade during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to the Gulf nation beginning Saturday.
Modi will hold talks with the top Kuwaiti leadership, visit an Indian labour camp, address the Indian community and attend the opening ceremony of the Gulf Cup football tournament.
It will be the first trip to the Gulf nation by an Indian prime minister in 43 years.
A day ahead of the prime minister's trip, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said discussions are underway with Kuwait on a bilateral investment treaty and a defence cooperation pact.
At a media briefing, Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary (Overseas Indian Affairs) in the MEA, said a few bilateral documents are expected to be firmed up during the prime minister's visit.
"The historic visit by the prime minister is expected to open a new chapter in India-Kuwait bilateral relations," he said.
"It will not only consolidate the partnership in existing spheres but also unveil new avenues for future cooperation, reinforce our shared values and build a more stronger and dynamic partnership for the future," he added.
Chatterjee said the visit is also expected to boost the ties between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
The GCC is an influential group that comprises the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait. The total volume of India's trade with GCC countries stood at USD 184.46 billion in the financial year 2022-23.
Kuwait is the current chair of the GCC.
Chatterjee said India is holding negotiations with the GCC for a free trade pact.
We hope both sides will be able to conclude it, he added.
On Modi's planned visit to a labour camp in Kuwait, Chatterjee said the government of India attaches considerable importance to the welfare of all the Indian workers abroad.
"The idea of the visit of the prime minister to the labour camp is to express the amount of importance the government of India attaches to our workers. That is the prime purpose," he said.
Over 45 Indians were killed in devastating fire in a building housing foreign workers in southern Kuwait's Mangaf locality in June.
The prime minister is visiting Kuwait at the invitation of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
Besides meeting the Emir, Modi will also hold talks with the Kuwaiti Crown Prince and the prime minister.
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