Kuwait's foreign minister arrives in Pakistan for bilateral talks

Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, has landed in Pakistan to begin his two-day official visit.

As per the statement issued by the Foreign Office of Pakistan, Sheikh Jarrah arrived in Islamabad at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar.

The Kuwaiti foreign minister was welcomed by Zahid Hussain, the Additional Secretary for the Middle East of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“During the visit, the two sides will engage in discussions concerning all aspects of their bilateral relations and will exchange views on regional and international matters of common interest,” the statement read.

Pakistan's Foreign Office stated that the visit reflected the strong brotherhood that existed between Pakistan and Kuwait based on shared history, trust, and close cooperation.

In fact, Pakistan is currently engaged in negotiations with Kuwait over a defence agreement in return for its help in the energy sector.

However, the talks are in their preliminary stages and may also face difficulties due to strained relations between the US and Iran, sources revealed.

A limited defense agreement between Kuwait and Pakistan for training and joint exercises has existed since 2023. However, now, Kuwait wants a more comprehensive pact like the one that Pakistan has with Saudi Arabia, involving "thousands of Pakistani troops on the ground, fighter jets, drones, air defense system, and other defense-related infrastructure," said an official from the Pakistani government.

Whether Pakistan is ready to take such a step or not remains to be seen, as the current agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia was the outcome of a long-standing close relationship between Pakistan and Riyadh.

In earlier reports, Kuwait was attacked, as the armed forces claimed they had managed to intercept Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, adding that several firefighters and workers from the oil industry were hurt during the process.

The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that their forces had targeted a US military support center located at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, destroying a radar facility at Ali Al Salem Air Base.