Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Talal Khaled Al-Ahmad had received PM Kakar upon his arrival at the Bayan Palace

News Desk/DNA

Kuwait City: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar met Kuwait Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal Al Jaber Al Sabah on Wednesday and the two sides agreed to deepen the bilateral relationship between the countries.

Kakar had arrived at Kuwait’s Bayan Palace earlier today to hold talks with the country’s top leadership. The premier — who recently wrapped up his trip to the United Arab Emirates — had landed in Kuwait last night to cement ties with the Gulf state.

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said that during the meeting Kakar reaffirmed the importance Pakistan had attached to its relationship with Kuwait and reiterated the desire to further expand bilateral cooperation in diverse fields.

“He underscored the resolve to forge deeper economic engagement between Pakistan and Kuwait, including in trade, energy, information technology, labour, mineral and investments,” the statement said.

PM Kakar also expressed satisfaction at the close cooperation between the two countries at multilateral fora, the statement said. “He appreciated the measures undertaken by Kuwait for the recruitment of Pakistani manpower in the fields of health, security and infrastructure,” it added.

Meanwhile, the Kuwait crown prince reciprocated the sentiments of the prime minister and “reiterated the desire of Kuwaiti leadership to further deepen and broaden bilateral relations with Pakistan”.

PM Kakar is also due to meet his counterpart Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad but the latter was admitted to a hospital due to an emergency health problem and his condition is stable, the state news agency  reported. It is unclear if the meeting will still take place.

Earlier today, Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Talal Khaled Al-Ahmad had received PM Kakar upon his arrival at the Bayan Palace.

On the occasion, the prime minister was presented with a guard of honour and the national anthems of both countries were played.

Pakistan signed several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Kuwait to attract multi-billion dollar investment from the Gulf country, as the South Asian nation seeks foreign inflows to boost its dismal economy.

A statement from the PM’s Office mentioned that the interim premier and Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Interior Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled Al-Ahmad Al Sabah underlined the importance of historical brotherly ties between the two countries.

During a meeting, they reaffirmed the desire to strengthen the fraternal ties by transforming them into a mutually rewarding economic partnership. Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir was also present during the meeting.

The leaders also witnessed the signing of seven agreements concluded to attract multi-billion dollars in investment from Kuwait in various sectors of Pakistan — including food security, agriculture, hydel power, water supplies, the establishment of mining fund to support mineral industry, technology zones development, and mangrove preservation.

In addition, three MoUs in the fields of culture and art, environment, and sustainable development were also signed.

On Tuesday, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir met the Kuwait crown prince during an official visit to the Gulf state, Kuwaiti news agency Kuna reported.

The army chief was accompanied by a delegation comprising interim Law Minister Ahmad Irfan Aslam, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kuwait Malik Mohammad Farooq and other officials.

It added that 2023 marked the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Kuwait.

The prime minister arrived in Kuwait on a two-day visit on Tuesday after wrapping up his trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Upon his arrival, Kuwait’s Minister for Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy Dr Jassim Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ostad received the caretaker premier.

Earlier, PM Kakar and COAS Munir visited the UAE where MoUs pertaining to investment cooperation were signed that would unlock “multi-billion dollars” in funding from the Mideast state.