EDUCATION
: Bachelor of Arts (Geography) with
Honors 1970, Passed the Preliminary
Studies in Higher Education in Geography
1971-1972. Worked as a Lecturer in the
Department of Geography, University
of Kuwait where he has completed Course
in Geo-Politics and Economics
DIPLOMATIC
CAREER
1. Appointed as a Diplomatic Attache
in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on
1.11.75.
2. Transferred from the Ministry to
the Embassy in Sana (Yemen) on 10.5.1976.
3. Became Third Secretary on 1.11.1976.
4. Became Second Secretary on 27.4.1977.
5. Transferred from the Embassy in Sana
to the Ministry, joined the Political
Affairs Department on 25.4.1977.
6. Transferred from the Ministry to
the Embassy in Bahrain on 27.5.1979.
7. Became First Secretary on 1.4.1981.
8. Became Counsellor on 1.4.1985.
9. Transferred from the Embassy in Bahrain
to the Embassy in Germany (Bon) on 27.6.1987.
10. Promoted to Minister Plenipotentiary
on 14.4.1992.
11. Appointed as Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiahry of the State of
Kuwait to the Republic of Senegal on
7.2.1993. Ambassador (Non Residence)
to Gambia, Sierra Leon and Ghana. Officially
in charge of other African Countries.
12. Appointed as Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of the State of
Kuwait to the Kingdom of Netherland
on 7.2.1996.
13. Appointed as Ambassador (Non Residence)
of the State of Kuwait to the Republic
of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 27.2.1997.
14. Permanent Representative of the
State of Kuwait in the following Organisation
: Organisation for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons and Essential Fund
Hollaind.
15. Awarded the Cavalryman Lion Medal
of Championship from the Republic of
Senegal.
16. Awarded the Merit Medal from the
Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
17. Appointed as Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of the State of
Kuwait to the Republic of Turkey on
21.10.2000.
AN
INTERVIEW WITH H.E. MR. KHALAF ABBAS
KHALAF AL-FOUDARI
BY
KUWAIT-INFO.COM
1. Your
Excellency recently you have been posted
to India as Kuwaiti ambassador, how
you see India in your diplomatic career
and your first impression about India?
Answer: India means a lot to Kuwait
and especially for me being in diplomatic
service and my opinion about is formed
due to two factors – firstly the
historical, social and cultural relations
between India and Kuwait are imbibed
since centuries and which was reinforced
when our forefathers first came to India
as merchants from Kuwait. The two cultures
of both the countries mixed when the
people of Kuwait and India mingled at
all levels with the fact that some of
the Kuwaiti families still live in India
and vice versa.
Secondly, Kuwait was
one of the first Arab countries in the
Gulf to establish diplomatic relations
with India, which was translated in
the words of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first
Prime Minister of India when he stated
in 1961 that he was “glad that
Kuwait had become independent”
and went on to say that India had “treated
Kuwait as a separate entity for a considerable
time past and we propose to continue
to treat it as an independent entity”.
Moreover, my career in diplomatic service
which put a lot of emphasis on India
and its importance in the world arena
as a major player which paved the way
for smaller countries to unite under
the banner of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
Secondly
2. What
are your opinion about the present state
of Indo-Kuwait relations and what measures
are to be taken to achieve new height
in Indo-Kuwait relations?
Answer: The Indo-Kuwait relations are
very strong and have been built on historical
factors between the two societies and
we strive to achieve the better relations
in different fields and one of the fields
is economy. We will exert to minimise
the gap between Indian economic institutions
and companies and their counterparts
in Kuwait, we are also trying to build
a strong platform to in help in increasing
the trade and investments not only between
the government agencies but also between
the private firms. Moreover, we will
cooperate in establishing the peace
and security in the Gulf and the Indian
subcontinent by fighting the terrorism
in all its form, and raising the standard
of human civilisations.
3. What
is your future plans as the ambassador-designate
to the Republic of India?
Answer: After the fall of Saddam Hussein’s
regime Kuwait is feeling more secure
in the region and is trying to achieve
news heights in diplomatic relations
internationally and this was stressed
during the fourth annual meeting of
Kuwaiti ambassadors with the high officials
of Kuwait in early this year. Our government
pointed out the importance of economic
policies and to help making Kuwait a
hub of investment and trade. Moreover,
to encourage our friends to come and
rediscover the region through Kuwait
and to accomplish such policy we pledged
to work on eliminating all obstacles
and pave the way to economical ties
between Kuwait and the whole world especially
India.
Moreover, I am keen
to increase the dialogue between the
officials of the two countries for resolving
the problems faced by the investors
and to establish better trade relations
between the two nations.
4. What
are your views on India’s relations
with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)?
Answer: The foreign policy of Kuwait
has always depended and cooperated with
India in strengthening the principles
of NAM which helped Kuwait to occupy
prominent position internationally especially
with India prior to the Iraqi invasion
of Kuwait in 1990. However, today Kuwait
is reassuming its position in the world
arena as the gateway to Arab world especially
to the GCC and this is due to three
factors:
a. In Kuwait we have a state system
that is built on democratic principles.
b. Kuwait has always followed non-discrimination
policy with all the countries irrespective
of their ideology and race.
c. Kuwait is a country of institutions
and believes in the separations of powers.
These factors led to the stability in
Kuwait and distinguishing it from other
countries in the region. Therefore,
we hope especially as the chairman of
the GCC for this year, we will ensure
to work in strengthening the Indian
position in the GCC especially when
Kuwait and I ndia have such common factors
as we mentioned earlier between the
two countries.
5.
Last word……
Answer: I have been honoured to present
my credentials to Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam,
Hon’ble President of India who
assured us his best wishes for a good
relations between Kuwait and India.
Moreover, on behalf of H.H. Sheikh Jaber
Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir
of the State of Kuwait, H.H. Shiekh
Saad Abdullah Al-Sabah, the Crown Prince
of the State of Kuwait and H.H. Sheikh
Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the Prime Minister
of the State of Kuwait, I would like
to convey the best wish to the President
of India, the government of India and
its people for enhanced Indo-Kuwait
relations and for the on going general
elections. I also would like to wish
India a very best while it is celebrating
its democracy with this on going general
elections, which I consider one of the
proudest moments and it is a great tribute
to democracy from the largest democracy
of the world. Long live Indo-Kuwait
relations…
List
of former Kuwaiti Ambassadors
while presenting the credentials
to the President of India |
Date |
Kuwaiti
Ambassador |
President
of India |
13
August 1964 |
H.E.
Mr. Yacoub Abdul Aziz Al-Rushaid |
Dr.
Sarvapalli Radhakrishanan |
|
04
November 1968 |
H.
E. Mr. Issa Abdul Rehman Al-Issa |
Dr.
Zakir Hussain |
|
03
July 1986 |
H.E.
Mr. Ali Zakaria Al-Ansari |
Mr.
Giani Zail Singh |
|
05
June 1991 |
H.E.
Mr. Dharar Abdul Razzak Razzooqi |
Mr.
R. Ventakataraman |
|
12
June 1996 |
H.E.
Mr. Abdul ‘al Suleiman |
Dr.
Shankar Dayal Sharma |
|
23
September
1999
|
H.E.
Mr. Abdulla A. Al-Murad |
Mr.
K.R. Narayanan |
|
07
May 2004 |
H.E.
Mr. Khalaf Abbas Khalaf Al-Foudari |
Dr.
AP.J. Abdul Kalam |
|
|