| Date: 11/05/2012 Time: 09:33:00 AM |
An influential Kuwaiti media delegation
comprising editors and senior journalists from different media establishments
is slated to visit India from May 14-18. This would be the first such Kuwaiti
media delegation visiting India in recent times.
In New Delhi, the delegation members are scheduled to meet India's senior
leadership, including Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Minister of External
Affairs S.M. Krishna, Minister of Finance Pranab Mukherjee, Commerce and
Industry Ministry Anand Sharma and Parliament's Speaker Meira Kumar.
Besides, their itinerary also includes interaction with Indian business
houses, including the FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and
Industry), captains of Indian industry, and senior Indian journalists.
On Monday, the delegation members would be attending a seminar - "Society,
Gender and Media: Experiences from Kuwait", to be organized by the India Arab
Culture Centre of New Delhi-based Jamia Millia Islamia University. The same
evening, they would also be attending a lecture at New Delhi-based Indian
Council for Cultural Relations.
The Kuwait embassy in New Delhi would be hosting a dinner for the media
delegates on Wednesday (May 16).
The delegation would be led by the Chairman of Kuwait Journalists
Association Ahmed Yousuf Behbehani, who is also the Deputy Chairman of Kuwait
News Agency (KUNA).
Other delegation members include KUNA Editor-in-Chief Rashed Mohamad
Al-Ruwaished, Editor-in-Chief of Arabic daily 'Al-Anba' Yousef Khaled
Al-Mazrook, Editor-in-Chief of daily 'Al-Nahar' Emad Jawad Bukhamseen,
Editor-in-Chief daily 'Kuwait Times' Abdul Rahman Yousuf Al-Alyan, Deputy
Editor-in-Chief of daily 'Al-Jazeera' Saoud Rashed Al-Anezi, Deputy
Editor-in-Chief of weekly magazine 'Al-Yaqaza' Dalia Mostafa Al-Shater,
delegation coordinator Adnan Khalifa Al-Rashed and photographer Majed Abdul
Razaaq Al-Sabaej.
In between their busy schedule of meetings and interactions with different
Indian groups and officials, the delegation members would also find time for
visiting the country's landmarks.
Speaking to KUNA about the delegation's visit, official spokesman of the
Ministry of External Affairs Syed Akbaruddin said that India attaches much
importance to the delegation's visit as it is an "influential media group"
from Kuwait visiting India in recent times.
"The delegation comprises senior Editors and journalists, who would be
interacting with different Indian groups, including mediapersons and business
houses, besides the top Indian leadership. We look forward to their visit," he
said.
The spokesman added: "It becomes all the more important for India as most
of the delegation members come from big business houses in Kuwait, and they
would be looking for tie-ups with Indian media groups or business houses.
Also, Kuwait is one of the major trade partners and oil suppliers for India,
besides being one of the oldest democracies in the Gulf region."
According to Akbaruddin, the delegation's visit would give a chance to
media persons on both sides to understand each other in a better way, and know
each other's ways of functioning.
As per official figures, Indo-Kuwait trade stood at more than USD 12
billion last year. Both the nations enjoy warm ties for several centuries.
Geographical proximity, historical trade links, cultural affinities and
presence of a large number of Indian expatriates in Kuwait continue to sustain
and nurture this relationship. Kuwait's ruling Al-Sabah family too has
longstanding ties with India, also a natural trading partner and a destination
for higher learning for Kuwait. |