New Delhi, Feb 1 (Inditop.com) India’s Gulf diplomacy is set to move into top gear this month as External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna heads to Kuwait Wednesday and New Delhi hosts a two-day Indo-Arab investment conclave next week.
Krishna will pay a two-day visit to oil-rich Kuwait Wednesday, official sources said here.
The visit will focus on widening the energy partnership and attracting Kuwaiti investments in infrastructural projects ranging from petrochemicals to power.
The two sides will also discuss security cooperation to combat terrorism.
This will be the first major visit from the Indian side to Kuwait in less than a year. Vice-President Hamid Ansari visited the Gulf country in April last year during which the two sides signed three pacts in areas of culture, education and science and technology.
India is expected to make a fresh pitch for attracting Kuwait investment. According to official estimates, Kuwait has a total budget surplus of $113 billion over the last decade and sovereign wealth fund amounting to $80 billion.
Kuwait, home to 580,000 Indians, contributes 12 percent of India’s total crude oil imports. Bilateral trade is estimated to over $8 billion.
Krishna’s visit to Kuwait will be followed by a two-day Indo-Arab investment project conclave that begins Feb 8. Deputy Secretary General of the League of Arab States Ahmed bin Heli will head the Arab delegation that will include trade ministers and top business leaders from around 18 Arab countries.
A visit by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Saudi Arabia, the Gulf’s most influential country, towards the end of the month or the first week of March is also on the cards.
