Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday he would visit Kuwait to seal a labor deal, in a sign of easing tensions after a diplomatic row over the alleged mistreatment of Filipino workers in the Gulf state.
Duterte had lashed out at Kuwait in February, imposing a departure ban on Filipinos planning to work there after the murder of a Filipina maid, whose body was found in a freezer.
The Philippine president said on Thursday that Kuwait had agreed to his demands to improve the working conditions for Filipinos, following negotiations between the two countries on an accord.
“To give honor also to the Kuwaiti government, I will go there for the signing (ceremony) just to witness it,” Duterte said in a speech during a visit to Hong Kong.
He did not say when he will travel to Kuwait.
Authorities in Manila say around 252,000 Filipinos work in the Gulf state, many as maids. They are among over two million Filipinos employed in the region, whose remittances are a lifeline to the Philippine economy.
-
Couple accused of murdering Filipina maid sentenced to death in Kuwait
The employers of a Filipina maid found dead in a freezer in Kuwait have been sentenced to death in absentia by a Kuwaiti court on Sunday. Syrian ... Middle East -
Body of Filipina maid found in freezer flown home from Kuwait
More than a hundred relatives and supporters of a Filipina maid whose body was found stuffed in a freezer in Kuwait brandished banners demanding ... Gulf -
Duterte expands ban for Filipino workers in Kuwait amid murder, abuse reports
The Philippines Monday expanded a ban on its citizens working in Kuwait after President Rodrigo Duterte angrily lashed out at the Gulf state over ... Gulf -
Kuwait responds to President Duterte after Filipino girl’s body found in freezer
The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry is seeking final solutions to the possible ban of Filipino workers going to the country after President Duterte condemned ... Gulf