Kuwait, PH discussing possible date for PRRD visit

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday the Philippine and Kuwaiti governments are still working on a common date for the visit of President Rodrigo R. Duterte to the Gulf state. (ACE MORANDANTE/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

KUWAIT — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday the Philippine and Kuwaiti governments are still working on a common date for the visit of President Rodrigo R. Duterte to the Gulf state.

“We’re working on a date this June, right after Ramadan and hopefully, they’ll come up with a common date,” DFA Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola told reporters at the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait.

“There’s no exact date yet because the Emir should also be available,” she said, adding that once a date has been mutually agreed upon, the Kuwaiti government will then extend a formal invitation.

Asked if the upcoming trip would be an official or state visit, Arriola said the country is hoping for the latter.

“We’re hoping it’s a state visit because there had been an invitation like that but the date couldn’t be settled,” she said.

During the interview, Arriola extended her gratitude to the Kuwaiti government for being “very cooperative” with the Philippine government.

Kuwait has granted an amnesty to undocumented Filipino workers in the Gulf state, and moved to extend it for two more months until Sunday, April 22.

Of the more than 10,000 illegal Filipino workers in Kuwait, the DFA, through its Assistance to Nationals Fund (ATN) has repatriated a total of 4,494 persons, with about 400 more expected by Sunday.

“We’re very thankful for the State of Kuwait for giving the amnesty program, for being cooperative with us,” Arriola said.

President Duterte earlier said he will visit the Gulf state to witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the protection of overseas Filipino workers in the country, following the murder of Joanna Demafelis and reported cases of maltreatment and abuses against Filipinos here.

The first negotiation on the document took place in Manila last March.

Arriola said the draft is still with the Kuwaiti government for review.

“We’re still waiting for our Kuwaiti counterparts when they’re ready for the second round of talks,” she said.