New Delhi: India and Kuwait concluded a meeting of their second Joint Ministerial Commission here Thursday, pledging to enhance bilateral ties.

The joint commission talks were preceeded by two days of official-level discussions from July 1. The report of those negotiations were presented at the joint commission meeting, which was chaired by Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed and Kuwaiti Finance Minister Mustafa Jassim Al-Shamali.

According to a statement by the external affairs ministry, four working groups on diverse subjects like labour, trade and investment, energy, science and technology and education looked at opportunities for furthering cooperation.

“During the second JCM, the two sides took stock of the progress made since the first JCM and reiterated their commitment to strengthen bilateral ties and raise them to a new height,” it said.

The first meeting of the commission was held in November 2006 in Kuwait, following the visit of the Kuwaiti Amir to India in June 2006.

The next meeting of the commission is scheduled to be held in Kuwait in 2009.

Kuwait accounts for 12 percent of India's crude imports. Bilateral trade volume, excluding oil trade stood at $800 million in 2006-7. Besides, there are over 600,000 Indians work in Kuwait.

 

Source : IANS