Sri Lanka-Kuwait ink two pacts

Rohan Mathes

KUWAIT: Sri Lanka and Kuwait inked two special Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on Cultural Affairs and on the Extradition of Jailed Sri Lankan Expatriate Workers.

The two MoUs, the highlights of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s visit to Kuwait, was signed by the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister and the Kuwaiti Minister for Labour and Social Welfare in the presence of President Rajapaksa and the Emir of Kuwait Shabah Al Ahamad Al Jabar Al Shabah.

The signing had taken place following a Special Royal Dinner, hosted by the Emir of Kuwait at the exclusive main Royal Bayan Palace.

Ministers Rohitha Bogollagama, Keheliya Rambukwella, A.H.M. Fowzie and President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga participated. The MoU on Cultural Affairs will enable the two countries to exchange education based cultural programmes and National Heritage based Security programmes in the future.

Under the MoU ‘Extradition of Jailed Sri Lankan Expatriate Workers’ for diverse offences and ‘Breaches of Service Agreements’ in Kuwait, jailed Sri Lankans would now be entitled to a ‘General Amnesty’ period within which period they could come back to Sri Lanka.

The Lankan Government which earlier had to incur a considerable outlay for the repatriation of such persons, will benefit immensely by this MoU.

President Rajapaksa and Emir Al Shabah had a cordial round of talks on bilateral and zonal issues of mutual interest, focused mainly on the Sri Lankan expatriate workers in Kuwait.

They had exchanged views on the prospects of these Sri Lankans securing more economically viable and lucrative job opportunities in Kuwait. The problems encountered by them and the possibilities of solving them expeditiously were also discussed.

The two leaders had also discussed Kuwaiti investments in Sri Lanka.