Indian ambassador calls on Asst Foreign Ministers

KUWAIT CITY, March 27: Indian Ambassador HE Sibi George met with HE Hamad Sulaiman Al-Mashan, Assistant Foreign Minister, Development and International Cooperation Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kuwait and discussed bilateral ties and ways of further strengthening them, counterterrorism cooperation and other matters of mutual interest. The ambassador also called on HE Misha’al Ibrahim Al Mudhaf, Assistant Foreign Minister for Consulate Affairs and discussed, inter-alia, recruitment of Indian workers, memorandum of understanding (MoU) on domestic workers and other Diaspora matters.

Meanwhile, on the occasion of the Asianet Nurses Awards ceremony, which was held recently, Ambassador George in his address said, “I am sure that today’s Asianet Nursing Excellence Award ceremony will go a long way in further building our vibrant bilateral relations with Kuwait, particularly our people to people connect.” The ambassador took this opportunity to congratulate Nixon George and the Asianet team for bringing together a cross section of major players in “our vibrant India-Kuwait connect and I welcome to Kuwait all who have joined us today from India and abroad, with them my dear friend of over twenty years Dr Mohan Thomas from Qatar”.

He reminded the audience that Kuwait is a key partner for India in its extended neighborhood, the Gulf Cooperation Countries. “We have nearly ten million Indians residing in this part of the world. The Gulf is a very important trade and economic partner and also in our energy security. “In our globalised world, every day we witness the impact of developments abroad on India. In an interconnected world, the presence of over thirty million Indians abroad makes our diplomacy a very important factor in our efforts to build a New India. I am happy that the Indian community in Kuwait is contributing immensely in further building our traditional long-standing dynamic partnership with Kuwait. They celebrate India in Kuwait every day. In this context, I see today’s celebrations as a historic event in our relations with Kuwait.” “During the last two years,” the Indian envoy said, “we were witness to many developments that would be talked about even after many decades from now. When our future generations look at us and do research on our handling of the Covid-19 situation, I am sure that they will not sympathize with us as someone who suffered a monumental tragedy; instead they will remember our generation as path breakers in the way we faced the challenges with unmatched fortitude, bravery and ingenuity and turned the moments of crisis into moments of opportunity to bounce back ever more strongly.”

Speaking about Kuwait, in the last two years, our Indian community here, along with its over three hundred Indian associations, transcending religious, regional and language barriers joined hands with the embassy in helping our brothers and sisters in Kuwait, he said. Despite all the odds, despite all the pain and suffering from working long hours, spending sleepless nights, witnessing unpleasant scenes of death and pain every day, our nurses continued to save our lives. They are truly an embodiment of the indomitable human spirit. They have displayed true courage, fortitude and resilience. They made every Indian here proud. No Kuwaiti can forget their services; no Indian can forget their services. They are our unsung heroes. The ambassador concluded by saying, “We always call the nurses our angels. They are indeed our angels. But they are much more. They are our warriors, I salute them, I thank them. I congratulate each one of them who are receiving the awards today. With them, it is the entire nursing community in Kuwait and everywhere in the world, who are getting honored here today.”