Kuwait MPs’ visit to boost bilateral cooperation with Sri Lanka

Saturday, 7 June 2014 00:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A Kuwaiti parliamentary delegation visiting Sri Lanka said the visit will further the relations between Kuwait and Sri Lanka and boost bilateral cooperation. The visit by Deputy National Assembly Speaker MP Mubarak Al-Khurainij and an accompanying delegation to Colombo yielded positive developments on many fronts, the delegation has told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA). The Kuwaiti Deputy National Assembly Speaker met with his Sri Lankan counterpart Chandima Weerakkody, on Tuesday, as part of his official visit to Sri Lanka. He also met with the Minister of External Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris and Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Dilan Perera. Al-Khurainij recalling Sri Lanka’s stance in support of Kuwait during the Iraqi occupation of 1990, hailed the bilateral relations and said the visit aims to develop cooperation in all fields, and mainly in the parliamentary domain. The talks will also touch on regional and international issues of mutual concern, he added. He said the Sri Lankan community in Kuwait has a good reputation and respects the host-country’s laws. The Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody meanwhile, noted the strong and friendly relations shared by the two countries and appreciated the support from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) for development projects in Sri Lanka, especially in the electricity and power field. Noting that Sri Lanka’s economy is growing and the number of Kuwaiti tourists is increasing, Weerakkody called on the Kuwait entrepreneurs to engage in more investments in the country. The Kuwaiti delegation included MPs Saleh Ashour, Hamdan Al-Azmi, Majid Moussa, and Mohammad Al-Hadiya, and also includes representatives of the Assembly’s Secretariat. At the meeting with Minister Dilan Perera, the delegation discussed the delay in results of health-checks for would-be domestic helpers seeking work in Kuwait, as well as the great disparity in payment sought for domestic helpers in Kuwait and in other Gulf countries. The Kuwaiti delegation stressed the importance of providing workers with appropriate training and orientation, and of closer and constant coordination between the Kuwaiti Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour and the Foreign Employment Promotion Ministry of Sri Lanka.

Kuwait seeks backing for UN seat

Kuwait has sought support from Sri Lanka for Kuwait’s non-permanent UN Security Council membership bid, the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported. Visiting Kuwait Deputy National Assembly Speaker Mubarak Al-Khurainij met the Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen on several issues, primarily investment in Sri Lanka. During the meeting, they also discussed how to rally up support for Kuwait’s non-permanent UN Security Council membership bid for 2018-2019. Al-Khurainij vowed that the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) would help and support friendly countries, including Sri Lanka, hoping that the Government of Sri Lanka would back Kuwait’s non-permanent UNSC membership bid. “We consider ourselves as representatives of Arab and Muslim issues,” Al-Khurainij said during the talks with Minister Bathiudeen. Hailing the Sri Lankan community in Kuwait, the senior Kuwaiti lawmaker said: “The community of Sri Lanka in Kuwait respects and abides by the local law.” He commented the Sri Lankan Government for handpicking several Muslim Cabinet Ministers as a sign of its respect for the rights of minorities. For his part, Minister Bathiudeen lauded his country’s cooperative relations with the State of Kuwait as distinguished, urging Kuwaiti businessmen to invest in Sri Lanka. He said the Sri Lankan Government is ready to wipe out any potential obstacles impeding Kuwaiti investment in Sri Lanka. However, the Minister Bathiudeen called for more economic cooperation between his Sri Lanka and Kuwait.