Sushma Swaraj departs for maiden Kuwait visit

External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj, who is on an official four-day visit to two Gulf countries, departed from Qatar for her maiden visit to Kuwait on Tuesday.

"Shukraan Qatar! After a successful visit to Qatar, EAM @SushmaSwaraj departs on her maiden visit to Kuwait. EAM will hold discussions with the leadership of Kuwait and interact with Indian community members," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted on Tuesday.

During the second leg of her visit, Swaraj will hold a bilateral meeting with her Kuwaiti counterpart, Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah, who also holds the post of Deputy Prime Minister in the state.

She will also call on the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and interact with the members of the Indian community.

Outlining the bilateral relations between India and Kuwait, the MEA, in a statement, said, "The Gulf nation is a "reliable energy supplier to India... The nation is also home to about ten lakh Indians, making them the largest expatriate community in Kuwait."

The bilateral trade between India and Kuwait in 2017-18 stood at USD 8.5 billion.

"The visit is in pursuit of India's objective of enhanced engagement with the Gulf region which is in India's extended neighbourhood. It will provide an opportunity to hold in-depth discussions with the political leadership on a wide range of global, regional and bilateral issues and will advance India's growing engagement with these countries in particular and the region in general," the statement added.

Swaraj had left for the official visit to the Gulf countries of Qatar and Kuwait on October 29.