KUWAIT: His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah receives from India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar a letter from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

By Sajeev K Peter

KUWAIT: Kuwait and India yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on labor, leveraging cooperation between the countries on recruitment of domestic workers. The MoU brings the Indian domestic workers in Kuwait within the ambit of a legal framework which streamlines their recruitment and provides them with protection of law. The MoU was signed, in the presence of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah and India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, by Indian Ambassador Sibi George and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kuwait Majdi Ahmad Al-Dhafiri.

Both ministers welcomed the signing of the MoU which will introduce an employment contract ensuring the rights and obligations of both the employer and the domestic workers. It seeks to establish a mechanism for 24-hour assistance to domestic workers. The MoU provides for establishment of a joint committee for periodic review and assessment and to follow up the implementation of the MoU which will conduct annual meetings, according to a press release issued by the Indian embassy.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah and India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar pose for a photo.

Dr Jaishankar, who arrived in Kuwait on Wednesday night leading a high-level delegation, met with His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah yesterday morning. He handed over to him a letter from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The visiting minister thanked the leadership for Kuwait's prompt supply of liquid medical oxygen and other oxygen-related supplies to India to fight the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Both sides discussed the state of bilateral relations and also the developments in the region.

Jaishankar's visit comes at the invitation of Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Sabah and is part of the enhanced high-level political exchanges in the context of 60th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Kuwait. The visiting minister held talks with Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Sabah. The talks were also attended by Dr Abdullah Issa Al-Salman, Minister of Commerce and Industry. Both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and exchanged views on the regional developments and global issues.

Indian Ambassador Sibi George and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kuwait Majdi Ahmad Al-Dhafiri pose for a photo after signing an MoU in presence of Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah and Dr S Jaishankar.

They also discussed the challenges posed by the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, the distress it caused to humanity and reiterated their commitment to jointly fight the pandemic and address the myriad of issues that their citizens face such as travel restrictions and issues related to vaccination. The topics covered also included food security, cyber security, cooperation in the energy sector and issues related to the Indian workforce in Kuwait.

Both sides agreed to hold the first India-Kuwait Joint Commission meeting later this year and also to set dates for early meetings of the Joint Working Groups on health, hydrocarbon and manpower. The two sides also agreed to set up new joint working groups in other areas of cooperation.

The launching of joint celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Kuwait.

The joint celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Kuwait were launched at the meeting. The year-long celebrations will continue through 2021-2022. In the evening, Jaishankar chaired a round-table conference of Indian ambassadors in the GCC countries and Iran.

The minister, who arrived in Kuwait on a three-day official visit on Wednesday night, was received at Kuwait International Airport by Acting Assistant Foreign Minister Abdul Razzaq Al-Khleefa and Kuwait's Ambassador to India Jasem Al-Najem. Indian Ambassador Sibi George and senior officials of the Embassy of India were also at the airport to receive the minister and the Indian delegation. The visiting minister is scheduled to address the Indian community today at 6 pm on a virtual platform, strictly adhering to the COVID-19 protocol.