"It gives me great pleasure tonight to welcome amongst us His Highness Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber and the distinguished members of the Kuwaiti delegation.
 
Your Highness, let me again extend to you our felicitations on your reappointment as Prime Minister of Kuwait. This is a reflection of the trust and confidence that you inspire in the leadership and the people of Kuwait at a challenging time for West Asia and the Gulf region.

Your Highness, from time immemorial, Kuwait has been an integral part of West Asia’s linkages of commerce, culture and religion with India. Today, our engagement is marked by a deep sense of comfort and enduring goodwill between our people, which is the source of great vitality and resilience in our relationship. Equally, the warmth and affection for India that I have seen in the leadership of Kuwait adds to our confidence in the relationship. The seven hundred thousand Indians in your country are a living bridge between Kuwait and India. They are building their lives, supporting families at home and contributing to Kuwait’s pluralism and progress.
 
Friends, India and Kuwait are joined together not just by the vitality of human contact. We have also built a multifaceted partnership that serves our vital interests. Indeed, by deepening our partnership, India and Kuwait can address more effectively many of the challenges that they face in the shared neighbourhood.

Today, we have discussed the possibilities of turning our energy trade into a strategic partnership. This can be done through long-term supply arrangements on mutually beneficial terms and collaboration in establishing upstream and downstream petroleum and petrochemical projects in India. We have also set for ourselves a high level of ambition for enhancing Kuwaiti investments in India’s infrastructure sector. In addition, as Kuwait undertakes its own ambitious new development plan, we see great prospects for project exports from India to Kuwait.

Security cooperation has added a new dimension to our relationship. This reflects our shared vision that our cooperation is necessary for countering extremism and terrorism that affect both of us.
 
Your Highness, during the landmark visit of His Highness, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait, to India in June 2006, we embarked on a new course for our relationship in the 21st century. Your present visit has added fresh winds to our sails. We value your contribution to the cause of peace in the region, and we look forward to Kuwait’s leadership in seeking solutions to the region’s many challenges.
 
Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
With those words, may I invite you to join me in raising a toast to:
 
• the good health and well being of His Highness Sheikh Jaber,  
• the prosperity and happiness of the friendly people of Kuwait, and 
• the everlasting bonds of friendship between India and Kuwait."