Pakistan, Kuwait agree to boost high-level exchanges, deepen ties in trade and defense

Arab News

7 days ago

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya agreed to increase high-level official exchanges to strengthen bilateral relations and bolster cooperation in trade, investment and defense, Pakistan's foreign office said in a statement on Tuesday.
The two ministers met on the sidelines of the International Conference on the Two-State Solution at the United Nations in New York.
Pakistan has been seeking to enhance economic and strategic partnerships with Gulf nations, including efforts to export more skilled human resources to the region in a bid to boost remittances, which reached a record $38.3 billion in the last fiscal year.
'The two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen Pakistan-Kuwait relations, with a focus on enhancing cooperation in trade, investment, energy, food security and defense,' the foreign office said. 'They also discussed close collaboration at multilateral fora, including at the UN and OIC [Organization of Islamic Cooperation].'
'Both sides agreed to undertake high-level exchanges in the near future to deepen bilateral engagement,' it added.
Dar and Al-Yahya also expressed concern over continued Israeli aggression against Palestinians and the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, calling for a just and lasting resolution.
They voiced hope that the outcomes of the UN conference would contribute meaningfully toward the realization of the two-state solution.
Earlier this year, Pakistan and Kuwait held the fourth round of Bilateral Political Consultations in Kuwait in May, where senior officials reviewed cooperation in trade, labor and consular affairs.
Prior to that, in February, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al‑Ahmad Al‑Sabah and pledged to transform bilateral relations into a robust economic partnership, while also coordinating positions on regional issues including the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The two sides are also trying to enhance collaboration in defense training, cybersecurity and military joint exercises.