Ambassador Zubaydullah Zubaydov with the Indian Ambassador, his wife, and the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muhanna Al-Muhanna.

He said “The Kuwaiti leadership awarded him the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Medal and invited him as a distinguished guest in the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup. The visit included important meetings with His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al- Khaled Al-Sabah, and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al- Abdullah Al-Sabah.

Indian Ambassador Dr. Adarsh Swaika, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Zubaydullah Zubaydov, and Muhanna Al-Muhanna are among the attendees

These meetings focused on strengthening political, economic and cultural cooperation between the two nations.” He said this historic visit culminated in the elevation of relations to the level of a strategic partnership, opening new areas of cooperation, especially defense cooperation, after the Kuwaiti Council of Ministers ratified the memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard. He also cited the accession of Kuwait to the India-led International Solar Alliance and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization during India’s presidency in 2023. He attributed the momentum witnessed in multilateral cooperation, particularly through the strategic dialogue between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), to Kuwait’s presidency of the Council, which played a vital role in advancing the joint action plan.

He added the number of joint working groups increased from three in 2023 to 10 at present, including the neighborhood, investment, culture, defense, security, counterterrorism, food security, agriculture, science and technology groups. He revealed the trade exchange between the two countries ranged from $10 billion to $17 billion over the past decade. “However, there was no institutional framework for discussing commercial matters, a development that was recently achieved through the establishment of two working groups on trade and investment. The Kuwaiti investment in India is growing at a time when major Indian companies are participating in huge projects in Kuwait, including roads, electricity, oil and gas, hospitals, and universities. India has become the fourth largest economy in the world and it is on its way to becoming the third, opening vast opportunities for Kuwaiti investors,” he stressed. On the cultural front, he pointed out that Kuwait has great passion for Indian culture, evident in several events organized by the embassy, such as the ‘Festival of India’ in March 2023, concerts by giants such as Amjad Ali Khan and Lalvi Subramaniam in 2023 and 2024, and the ‘Bharat Mela’ festival, which witnessed the participation of 7,000 people and 700 artists in Salmiya Square, in addition to celebrating the International Yoga Day inside and outside the embassy.

A radio program in Hindi was launched in April 2024, and Indian cinema programs were broadcast on Kuwaiti television. He emphasized that cultural ties run deep, and that the Kuwaiti dialect contains around 300 words of Indian origin. He af firmed that the health sector is an important pillar of bilateral relations, as more than 1,000 Indian doctors and 30,000 nurses are working in Kuwait. He recalled cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic, when India sent medical missions and vaccines to Kuwait, while Kuwait supplied it with liquid medical oxygen. He also touched on the success of the ‘e-visa’ initiative launched by India for Kuwaitis last July, which includes visas for tourism, medical treatment, business, yoga and conferences. He said more than 700 visas were issued in the first three months of implementing the initiative. Regarding the Palestinian issue, he confirmed the steadfast position of his country in supporting the rights of the Palestinian people, recalling that India was among the first non-Arab countries to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1974, and then the State of Palestine in 1988, providing humanitarian and development aid amounting to $170 million over the years. On a humanitarian and personal level, he expressed his deep gratitude for Kuwaiti traditions, especially the ‘diwaniya’, which he described as a unique tradition that enabled him to build extensive relationships. He said “I will greatly miss walking down Gulf Street from the Towers to the Marina. I will have beautiful memories of the warmth of Kuwaiti society,” referring to the ‘Ramadan Coffee’ initiative he launched during his tenure in Kuwait. Addressing the Indian community in Kuwait,

Swaika asserted, “you are a source of pride for India, distinguished by your peaceful nature and positive contributions to Kuwaiti society. I have always received words of thanks and appreciation from Kuwaiti officials for our community.” He went on to thank his Kuwaiti friends for the generous hospitality he had received over the past three years, calling for the strengthening of ties between the new generations in both countries. He also wished success for his successor, who will arrive in Kuwait in October as the first female Indian ambassador to the country, stressing his confidence that she will continue the path of cooperation with the support of the Kuwaiti media. Concluding his remarks, he announced his next assignment as India’s ambassador to Kenya, where he will also represent India at the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Habitat Programme in Nairobi, in addition to his accreditation as a non-resident ambassador to Somalia. He then expressed his aspiration to embark on a new African experience after his rich experience in the Gulf region.

The Deanship of the Diplomatic Corps has organised a farewell ceremony for outgoing Indian Ambassador to Kuwait Dr. Adarsh Swaika, with Ministry of Foreign Affairs representative Muhanna Al-Muhanna and a large number of ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions in attendance. In his speech at the event, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of Tajikistan Zubaydullah Zubaydov praised the achievements of Swaika throughout his tenure in Kuwait, stressing that he contributed significantly to strengthening and developing India’s relations with Kuwait. Zubaydov highlighted the most important achievements of Swaika over the past three years in different fields, while commending his cooperation and communication with his fellow heads of diplomatic missions in the country. He wished the Indian Ambassador success in his future assignments. In another development, Zubaydov welcomed the ambassadors who presented copies of their credentials to Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya -- ambassadors of the Netherlands, Lebanon and Somalia, wishing them a pleasant stay in Kuwait.

On the other hand, Swaika expressed his sincere gratitude to Kuwaiti officials for their cooperation in developing relations between the two countries, stating that they moved to an important stage of cooperation following the visit of the Indian Prime Minister to Kuwait. He confirmed that officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs fully cooperated with him and provided him with all the facilities needed to ensure the success of his mission in the country. He expressed his gratitude to his colleagues, the heads of diplomatic missions in the country, for their cooperation, support and attendance in events organised by the Indian Embassy. He briefed his colleagues on his new assignments as his country’s representative in Kenya and non-resident ambassador to Somalia, in addition to representing India at the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Housing Programme in Nairobi.