Kuwait and India Reaffirm Strong Ties in High-Level Meeting
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Kuwait News Agency
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- Kuwait News Agency
Kuwait Crown Prince sympathizes with Russia over plane crash
KUWAIT, July 25 (KUNA) -- His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah sent Friday a cable of condolence to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the victims of the crash of a passenger plane in Russia Federation's far-eastern region of Amur, voicing sympathy for the victims' families. (pickup previous) mt
Kuwait Times
6 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Modi and Starmer ink trade deal
UK premier hails 'unique bonds' with India LONDON: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised Britain's 'unique bonds' with India as he and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi formally signed a recently announced UK-India trade deal during talks on Thursday. Starmer hailed the agreement as a 'landmark moment' for both countries as he hosted India's leader at his Chequers country estate, northwest of London. 'This is not the extent or the limit of our collaboration with India,' added the British premier, whose year-old government is struggling to fire up an economy weakened by years of stagnant growth and high inflation. 'We have unique bonds of history, of family and of culture and we want to strengthen our relationship further, so that it is even more ambitious, modern and focused on the long term,' he said. Starmer and Modi announced in May they had struck a free trade agreement that the British government says will eventually add £4.8 billion ($6.5 billion) a year to the UK economy. The UK and India hope the accord will boost trade between the two countries by £25.5 billion, as well as bolstering the British economy and wages. Modi, standing alongside Starmer during a media appearance, described the deal as a 'blueprint for our shared prosperity'. Britain and India are the sixth and fifth largest global economies respectively, with a trade relationship worth around £41 billion and investment supporting more than 600,000 jobs across both countries. The accord slashes tariffs on imports of UK goods into India, including whisky, cosmetics and medical devices. In return, the United Kingdom will cut tariffs on clothes, footwear and food products including frozen prawns from India. Starmer and Modi were also likely to discuss last month's Air India disaster in which 241 people died when a London-bound flight crashed after taking off from Ahmedabad in western India. Some 169 Indian passengers and 52 British nationals were killed in the June 12 crash, one of the deadliest plane disasters in terms of the number of British fatalities. A lawyer for 20 British families said this week the repatriation of victims had been marred by errors with one relative finding that a returned coffin contained 'co-mingled' remains. A different family was told a coffin contained the body of someone else entirely, not their loved one, he said, according to UK media. India's foreign ministry has said all remains 'were handled with utmost professionalism' and that it is 'continuing to work with the UK authorities on addressing any concerns related to this issue'. Another tricky topic of discussion could be that of Scottish Sikh blogger Jagtar Singh Johal, imprisoned in India since 2017 on accusations of being part of a terror plot against right-wing Hindu leaders. He has not been convicted of a crime and in March was cleared of one of the nine charges against him. His brother Gurpreet Singh Johal said in a statement the case 'should be high on the agenda' during the two leaders' meeting. Starmer and Modi have met twice recently, at the G7 summit in Canada last month and at the G20 meeting in Brazil last year. Modi was also due to see King Charles III during his brief stay in Britain, his fourth visit since becoming India's leader in 2014. —AFP
Kuwait Times
8 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
Kuwait signs military deal with France, holds talks with CENTCOM
Lt Gen Sabah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah meets with US Central Command Commander Gen Michael Kurilla. KUWAIT: Kuwait's defense and security institutions stepped up regional coordination on Thursday with back-to-back high-level meetings and agreements involving the United States and France. In separate engagements, the Kuwaiti Armed Forces and National Guard both held talks with international counterparts to strengthen joint efforts on military training, intelligence sharing, and regional stability. The Kuwait National Guard signed a memorandum of understanding with the French Gendarmerie to boost coordination in military and security fields, including joint training and the exchange of expertise. The agreement was signed by Lt Gen Hashem Al-Rifaie, Undersecretary of the National Guard, and Olivier Gauvin, French Ambassador to Kuwait. Lt Gen Sabah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah meets with US Central Command Commander Gen Michael Kurilla. According to a statement from the National Guard, Al-Rifaie emphasized the Kuwaiti leadership's commitment—under His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah—to deepening ties with France across multiple sectors. Al-Rifaie conveyed the National Guard's appreciation and highlighted the 'long-standing, distinguished historical relations' between Kuwait and France. Separately, Lt Gen Sabah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Kuwait Armed Forces, met with US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Gen Michael Kurilla to discuss 'a number of issues of mutual interest,' according to a statement from the Kuwaiti General Staff. The meeting, held at Lt Gen Al-Sabah's office, covered regional and international developments, and ways to expand bilateral military cooperation. The two sides also 'exchanged views on evolving security challenges in the region and how to strengthen joint military action to achieve regional security and stability,' the statement said. Both leaders praised the deep-rooted partnership between Kuwait and the United States, which they said reflects 'decades of collaboration and continuous coordination.' They stressed the importance of 'continued coordination and intensified joint efforts to face security challenges.' — KUNA
