Kuwait agrees to explore ways to liberalise hiring of Bangladeshis

Bangladesh and Kuwait have agreed to form a ‘Joint Working Group’ to explore ways of liberalising the recruitment and hiring of Bangladeshi nationals.

The two countries also agreed to expand the scope of their “partnership” in the fields of trade, investments, energy and power, defence, human resources, and infrastructure.

According to a joint statement issued following the visit of Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, the two “brotherly” countries also agreed to continue their cooperation in countering terrorism and violent extremism.

The Kuwait Prime Minister arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday on a three-day official visit at the invitation of his counterpart Sheikh Hasina. He left Dhaka aroundThursday noon.

During the visit, the Prime Minister of Kuwait met President Md. Abdul Hamid and laid a wreath at the National Memorial at Savar as a mark of respect to the Bangladeshi freedom fighters.

He also visited the National Parliament of Bangladesh to see a session in progress.

In their official talks, the two leaders expressed “satisfaction” at the “excellent level” of cooperation in the field of defence.

They also affirmed that the signing of the agreement on cooperation in military training and other areas would deepen Bangladesh-Kuwait defence cooperation.

They welcomed the signing of an Agreement on Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investment, saying it would facilitate Kuwaiti investments in Bangladesh.
They also signed agreements on the exemption of prior entry visa for diplomatic and official/special passport holders, and for a second loan to finance the Paira bridge project.

They agreed to increase official contacts at all levels and emphasised the importance of greater cooperation between Bangladesh and Kuwait in bilateral, regional, and multilateral arenas.

Hasina “deeply appreciated” the Kuwaiti government for hosting a large number of Bangladesh workers, and requested her counterpart to liberalise the recruitment and hiring policy for greater employment opportunities in professional, skilled and semi-skilled jobs.

The Kuwaiti prime minister agreed to consider this “positively”, recognising the contribution of Bangladeshi expatriates in Kuwait’s development.

They agreed to form the joint working group under the Technical Cooperation Agreement on Manpower signed between the two countries in 2000.

Referring to KD15 million assistance from the Kuwait Fund for the construction of Paira Bridge in Patuakhali, both the Prime Ministers decided to explore greater cooperation under the Kuwait Fund.

The Kuwaiti side also said they would probe opportunities in the field of gas and oil, including the establishment of an oil refinery.

Both sides welcomed the adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and commended the efforts of the concerned countries and the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura.

The both sides called for the realization of a negotiated, just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East based on UN Security Council resolutions.

They called for the establishment of a sovereign, viable and contiguous Palestinian state living in peace and security with all its neighbours in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative.

They also called upon Israel to refrain from any unilateral actions like the building of settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and its Holy Sites, and urged both sides to continue their negotiations for a “two-state solution”.

Bangladesh and Kuwait welcomed the agreement reached between the P5 +1 and Iran, stressing the need to implement the agreement.

Hasina invited the Kuwait Amir to visit Bangladesh at an early date.

The Kuwaiti Prime Minister also invited Hasina to visit Kuwait and it was agreed that the visit would take place at a mutually convenient time.