Kuwait’s Relations with India Would never Be on Account of Ties with Pakistan – AFM Ali Sulaiman

Islamabad; 26 Jan 2021 – “I bring a message of love, brotherhood and cooperation for the people of Pakistan from Kuwait.” This was stated by Ambassador Ali Sulaiman Alsaeed, Assistant Foreign Minister for Asian Affairs of the State of Kuwait during his address at a Public Talk organized by the Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East and Africa (CAMEA) at the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad today.

H.E Nasar Abdul Rahman J. Almutairi the Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to Pakistan was also in attendance. Members of the diplomatic corps in Islamabad, academics, civil society, and former and current diplomats were also present.

Ms. Amina Khan, Director Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East & Africa (CAMEA) gave welcome remarks.

Ambassador Alsaeed emphasized the importance of Pakistan as a significant country for the entire region and the world. He said that Kuwait is a small but active country with region-wide diplomatic outreach. There are a plenty of opportunities for both these countries to collaborate for the betterment of the entire region. He went on to say that Kuwait perceives Pakistan as a brotherly country and praised the strong and capable diplomats of Pakistan for their efforts to cultivate peace and prosperity in the entire region. Commenting on the ubiquitous threat of the Coronavirus pandemic, Ambassador Alsaeed commended the efforts of the Pakistani medical team that had visited Kuwait last year and offered their expertise in assisting the authorities in Kuwait during the outbreak.

Talking about the bilateral relationship, he was of the view that Pakistan and Kuwait must work to diversify their relations through commerce, exchange of expertise and cultural expertise. He also spoke of a training program within Pakistan for Kuwaiti diplomats. Ambassador Alsaeed appreciated the role of the Pakistani community in Kuwait as one of the most highly skilled diaspora.

The talk was followed by a question and answer session which was moderated by Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Director General ISSI. While answering a question on India, the Ambassador remarked that Kuwait’s relationship with India would never be on account of its ties with Pakistan. He further went on to say that Kuwait’s stance on Kashmir is in accordance with the UNSC resolutions. Responding to a question regarding China’s BRI initiative, Ambassador Alsaeed said that Kuwait enjoyed excellent ties with China and that Kuwait could greatly benefit from the Pakistan-China bilateral relationship as these links can also be expanded to include economic linkages with Pakistan.

Chairman BOG, ISSI Ambassador Khalid Mahmood concluded the talk by stating that Ambassador Alsaeed ’s visit was indeed a special occasion for the Institute, as goodwill exists between both countries. However, he was of the view that cooperation in diverse fields is needed as new opportunities have opened up in the form of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).