News: Kuwait News Agency
Pics: Daijiworld News Network - Kuwait

Pictures: A Memorable Photo album presented by Kuwait's Amir to the President of India in New Delhi

Jun 16: Indian newspapers in their Friday edition have highlighted the strength of India-Kuwait relations and the agreements signed between the two countries during the ongoing visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to the country.

India's leading English daily, Times of India, wrote "India and Kuwait on Thursday inked a double tax avoidance pact and agreed on greater cooperation in energy and biotechnology, coinciding with the six-day state visit of Kuwaiti Amir, the first by a head of state from the Gulf nation to India in 23 years."

The paper quoted Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna as saying "The two leaders focused on ways to not only push bilateral trade and investment ties between the two countries significantly but also their age-old cultural relations." "A main issue that came up for discussions during the talks was a keen desire from both sides for economic cooperation. In that context, the two sides signed an agreement for avoidance of double taxation," Sarna said.

The talks also focused on cooperation on counter-terrorism efforts and the two countries signed two more pacts on curbing the flow of narcotics and stepping up cultural exchange programs, the paper wrote.

Another leading Indian English daily, The Financial Express, reported that India and Kuwait signed three agreements on Thursday to boost bilateral ties after His Highness held talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The visit of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait sought cooperation on all issues of mutual interests including labor issues.

There are over 500,000 Indian expatriates in Kuwait and bilateral trade stands at an annual USD 600 million, excluding oil, the paper reported.