| Date: 17/05/2012 Time: 12:24:00 PM |
India enjoys close relations with Kuwait and
there is a tremendous scope of enhancing bilateral trade which stood at USD 12.
3 billion last year, said Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna while
meeting the ten-member delegation of Kuwaiti journalists in New Delhi,
Thursday.
He said the free media of both the countries could play a constructive role
in bringing the two countries closer and diversifying the bilateral links.
"Our ties have been defined by close geographical proximity and cultural
affinity. People on both sides have known each other for centuries, and both
the governments have also maintained regular high-level of contacts," he said
while welcoming the Kuwaiti journalists.
Laying stress on enhanced bilateral trade and Kuwaiti investment in India,
he said, "there is enough scope for Kuwaitis to make investments in India in
different sectors. I may assure you that investment in India is always safe
and solid with comparatively higher returns. Despite global slowdown, India
has grown at a satisfactory pace since 2008, when the meltdown hit the
developed economies of the world."
He further stated that India has set a target of making investments of one
trillion USD in the next ten years, and "Kuwait can pitch in here".
To a question about US' pressure on India to cut down oil imports from
Iran, the Indian Minister told the Kuwaiti journalist-delegates that India and
Iran enjoy civilizational ties, even as Iran meets nearly 11 percent of
India's crude oil needs. "And, we made it clear during the recent visit of US
Secretary of State that no decision has been taken yet to reduce oil imports
from Iran," he said.
He, however, acknowledged that due to US' sanctions on Iran, India has been
facing problems of payments for Iranian oil.
Touching on India's foreign policy, he said that his country wanted peace
and tranquility in Asia and world over. "Our relations with our immediate
neighbours Pakistan and China have been improving in the recent past, and all
diplomatic efforts are being made to take them one step higher," he added.
To a pointed question about India's recent military build-up across Chinese
border, Krishna said: "We do safeguard our border like any other country does.
Sometimes media reports create problems where there is none. There is a border
concern with China and both the nations understand this. It's a very long
border and efforts are being made to resolve all border-related issues."
Allaying fears of tensions between India and China, he specifically pointed
out that Indo-China trade stood at more than USD 74 billion last year. "If
there was suspicion between the two sides, such a huge trade would never have
been comprehended," added the Indian Minister.
Today was the last day of the Kuwaiti journalists' visit to India. In a
statement, the delegation's Coordinator Adnan Khalifa Al-Rashed thanked the
Indian and Kuwaiti Foreign Ministries for making their visit a success. He
also thanked the Kuwaiti embassy in New Delhi and India's embassy in Kuwait,
KUNA correspondent in India and the Kuwait Television for giving a wide
coverage.
The delegation members included Chairman of Kuwait Journalists Association
(KJA) Ahmed Yousuf Behbehani, Editor-in-Chief of Arabic daily 'Al-Anba' Yousef
Khaled Al-Mazrook, KUNA Editor-in-Chief Rashed Mohamad Al-Ruwaished,
Editor-in-Chief of daily 'Al-Nahar' Emad Jawad Bukhamseen, Editor-in-Chief
daily 'Kuwait Times' Abdul Rahman Yousuf Al-Alyan, Editor-in-Chief of 'Al-Rai'
Majed Yousuf Al-Ali, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of daily 'Al-Jarida' 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. |