Kuwait and India held the inaugural meeting of their Joint Defense Committee (JDC) in New Delhi on Friday. A statement from the Indian Ministry of Defense said the two countries agreed to further strengthen bilateral defense cooperation across a wide range of areas, including training, military exercises, military medicine, staff talks, defense industry and research and development.

The meeting marked a key step towards implementing the objectives set out in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defense cooperation signed during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kuwait in December 2024.

It was co-chaired by Joint Secretary in the Indian Defense Ministry Amitabh Prasad and Brig Gen Raed Al-Sakran, who led a five-member Kuwaiti delegation. The Indian delegation comprised representatives of the three services, the Department of Defense Production, the Defense Research and Development Organization, the Armed Forces Medical Services and the Ministry of External Affairs.

Ahead of the meeting, Brigadier General Al-Sakran laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi. The Kuwaiti delegation also held discussions with representatives of the Indian defense industry on potential areas of cooperation, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported.

Kuwait and India established diplomatic relations in 1962, and the relationship was upgraded to a strategic partnership during Modi's visit to Kuwait in December 2024. Geographic proximity, historical trade links, cultural affinities and the presence of a large Indian community in Kuwait continue to sustain the relationship between the two countries. (Sources & Photo © Indian Ministry of Defense/KUNA)