A high-level all-Party delegation led by Hon’ble Member of Parliament Shri Baijayant Panda arrived in Kuwait today. Kuwait is the second stop of a four-nation diplomatic outreach after Bahrain as part of India’s broader engagement with key international partners, including Kuwait, to foster greater global cooperation in combating terrorism.

2. Kuwait was one of the first countries in the region to issue a statement condemning the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Messages of condemnation / condolences in the wake of Pahalgam terror attack were sent by the leadership of Kuwait – His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to Hon’ble President and Prime Minister of India. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait H.E Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya spoke with External Affairs Minister of India H.E Dr. S. Jaishankar conveying Kuwait’s solidarity with India.

3. Today, the delegation held a productive meeting with H.E. Sherida Abdullah Saad Al-Maousherji, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs of Kuwait. The delegation highlighted the continued perpetration of cross-border terrorism against India, including the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, with the intention to disturb peace and development in Jammu and Kashmir, an integral part of India. They underscored the precise, targeted, proportionate and non-escalatory nature of India’s response to Pahalgam terror attack. The delegation emphasized India’s policy of ‘Zero Tolerance’ and the ‘New Normal’ approach against terrorism that does not differentiate between terrorists and those supporting them in any manner. The Deputy Prime Minister thanked the Indian delegation for sharing their perspective on the recent events and underscored that terrorism has no justification whatsoever. Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

4. The delegation interacted with a cross-section of the large Indian community in Kuwait and conveyed India’s national consensus to fight against terrorism. India’s affirmative action against terrorism, especially Operation Sindoor, found strong support among the Indian community.

5. A special Diwaniya-style interaction, co-hosted with the Kuwait-based think tank Reconnaissance Research, was held in the evening. The event brought together leading voices from Kuwaiti civil society including members of the royal family, former Ministers, senior editors, think-tank experts, opinion leaders and influencers. While touching upon the strong India-Kuwait strategic partnership, the discussions focussed on the recent situation in the Indian sub-continent and India’s ‘New Normal’ approach to dealing with such incidents of cross-border terrorism. The participants were unanimous in their view that terrorism is against humanity and needs to be countered in all possible ways.

6. Tomorrow, the delegation is scheduled to meet other key interlocutors in Kuwait. They will also visit the ongoing India-Kuwait exhibition chronicling 250 years of deep historical connections.

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Vivek Vaibhav

(Release ID: 2131911)