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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan met Kuwait Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah during his two-day visit to Kuwait, officials said on Thursday.
According to an official release from the Kerala Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Vijayan was accorded a warm reception at Al Bayan Palace, the main palace of the Emir of Kuwait, where he held discussions on strengthening historic ties between India and Kuwait. Kuwait's Minister of Finance and Chairman of the Kuwait Investment Authority, Saad Al Munaifi, was also present during the meeting. Sheikh Fahad commended the Indian community, including Malayalis, for their contributions to Kuwait's development and reconstruction, the release stated. Expressing gratitude to Sheikh Fahad and the Kuwaiti government, CM Vijayan highlighted Kerala's investment potential across various sectors and emphasised continued support for the Malayali community in Kuwait. The meeting was attended by Kerala Chief Secretary Jayathilak and Lulu Group Chairman MA Yusuff Ali. Later, CM Vijayan met Sheikh Mishal Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Member of the Board of Directors of the Kuwait Investment Authority. Sheikh Mishal informed the Chief Minister that a delegation from Kuwait would soon visit Kerala to explore investment opportunities in the state. Vijayan is in Kuwait for a two-day official visit, marking the first visit by a Kerala Chief Minister to the country in 28 years. On November 7, he will address the Malayali expatriate community at a public event organised at the Al Arabi Indoor Stadium in Mansouria. A large number of Keralites in Kuwait are expected to attend the event. Pinarayi Vijayan last visited Kuwait in 2015, when he was serving as the state secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). His current visit is being seen as a significant moment for the large Malayali community in Kuwait, as no Kerala Chief Minister has visited the country since 1996. The Kerala Chief Minister has embarked on an extensive tour of GCC countries, with Bahrain as his first destination. He visited Bahrain on October 15, followed by his visit to Muscat and Salalah in Oman from October 24 to 26, and Qatar on October 30. Vijayan is scheduled to travel to the UAE on November 9. (ANI)
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