India and Kuwait have agreed to further strengthen bilateral defense cooperation in areas including military training, exercises, military medicine, staff talks, defense industry and research and development.
The agreement was reached at the inaugural meeting of the India-Kuwait Joint Defense Committee (JDC), held in New Delhi on Friday, according to India’s Ministry of Defense.
The first JDC meeting marked an important step towards implementing the objectives of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Defense Cooperation signed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kuwait in December 2024.
The meeting was co-chaired by Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary at India’s Ministry of Defense, and Brigadier General Raed Alsakran, who led a five-member Kuwaiti delegation.
The Indian delegation included representatives from the three armed services, the Department of Defense Production, Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), Armed Forces Medical Services and the Ministry of External Affairs.
Ahead of the meeting, Brigadier General Alsakran laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in New Delhi and paid tribute to India’s fallen soldiers.
During the visit, the Kuwaiti delegation also visited the Defense Public Sector Undertakings Bhawan, where it held discussions with representatives of India’s defense industry on potential areas of cooperation. An industry interaction with the Kuwaiti delegation was also scheduled for the second day of the visit.
India’s Ministry of Defense described relations between the two countries as traditionally warm and friendly, rooted in longstanding historical ties. The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1962.
The bilateral relationship was elevated to a Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Kuwait in December 2024.
According to the ministry, geographical proximity, historic trade ties, cultural links and the presence of a large Indian community in Kuwait continue to support the longstanding and multifaceted relationship between the two countries.