New Delhi: India today (Aug 25, 2004) entered into a landmark agreement to usher in free trade with six Gulf countries including Kuwait with which it signed an extradition treaty and two other accords to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.

Visiting Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah and his Indian counterpart K Natwar Singh inked an agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters and a Memorandum of Understanding for setting up of Strategic Consultative Group.

Kuwait is the third Gulf country after UAE and Bahrain with which India has signed extradition treaty. The extradition treaty with Saudi Arabiya is in advanced stage of negotiations and a similar agreement with Qatar is in initial stage.

On behalf of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) of which Kuwait is the current Chairman, al-Sabah signed with Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath the framework agreement for economic cooperation.

Al-Sabah, who is on a three-day visit, called on President A P J Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.

Al-Sabah and Singh held delegation-level talks preceded by a restricted session on a wide range of issues covering bilateral relations and international issues including Iraq as well as UN and UN reforms, External Affairs Ministry spokesman told in New Delhi.