(MENAFN) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was presented with Kuwait’s highest award by the Gulf state’s amir, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, during a meeting on Sunday. This prestigious honor has previously been bestowed upon global leaders and royals, including Bill Clinton, George Bush, and King Charles.

Modi's visit to Kuwait marks the first by an Indian prime minister since Indira Gandhi in 1981. Kuwait is a vital trade partner for India, with bilateral trade reaching USD10.47 billion in the past financial year.

The Gulf country is India’s sixth-largest supplier of crude oil, accounting for 3 percent of the nation’s energy needs. The Kuwaiti sovereign wealth fund’s cumulative investments in India have surpassed USD10 billion. Kuwait is also home to a large Indian community of 1 million people, making it the biggest Indian diaspora in the Middle East.

The two countries have elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership, opening “a new chapter,” as stated by the Indian Foreign Ministry.

“Both sides have been able to identify several important areas of cooperation, and the governments will work towards fulfilling the plans made during this visit,” said Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary of the Foreign Ministry, during a media briefing on Sunday.

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