President Duterte accepts the invitation and will visit Kuwait

After the implementation of total ban on deployment of OFW in Kuwait, the Philippine President finally accepted the invitation of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to visit Kuwait.

We know that few days ago and according to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. confirmed that the Kuwait government has invited Duterte. The invitation was extended to the President during his bilateral meeting with Kuwait Ambassador to the Philippines Saleh Ahmad Althwaik held at Malacañang Palace on Wednesday, February 7.

On January 24, Duterte threatened to direct all the Filipino workers in Kuwait to return home, if human rights violations against them continue. “One more incident about being a woman, a Filipina worker being raped there, committing suicide, I’m going to stop, I’m going to ban (Filipinos in Kuwait),” the President had said.

Duterte finally accepts  Amir’s invite

The state visit will take place “in the first or the second week of March”, Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah announced yesterday. The two countries will also sign an agreement to regulate the affairs of Filipino workers in Kuwait, Jarallah added after a meeting with the National Assembly’s foreign relations panel to discuss the standoff between the Philippines and Kuwait over alleged mistreatment of workers.

“The Philippines president will visit the country after the Amir sent an invitation to the president. The visit will – God willing – take place in the first or second week of March,” Jarallah told reporters after the meeting. He said an agreement is currently under review by the two countries to regulate Filipino workers in the country, adding the agreement was proposed by the Philippine authorities. “We have been presented with the draft agreement which will be signed by Kuwait and the Philippines. Concerned authorities (in Kuwait) have reviewed the draft,” Jarallah said.

As published in Kuwait Times –  Jarallah said the two countries are on their way to calm the tense situation, “if we have not actually reached that target already through the correct and quiet handling of this problem”. Kuwait last week condemned what it called an escalation by the Philippines that threatened bilateral relations after the president and top officials lashed out at Kuwait for allegedly mistreating Filipino workers in the country.

After all the issues that the two country have been dealing in the past few days, we are hopeful that it will end in a positive way that will benefit both countries particularly the Kuwait citizens and the Overseas Filipino Workers.