SEOUL: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte apologized to Kuwait on Sunday for his “harsh” words at the height of a months-long diplomatic row over the treatment of domestic workers.
The spat began in February when a murdered Filipino maid was found in her employer’s freezer in the Gulf state, prompting Duterte to lash out at the “inhuman” treatment of migrant workers and ban workers from traveling to Kuwait.
“For the first time I would say that I was harsh in my language maybe because that was a result of an emotional outburst. But I’d like to apologize now,” Duterte said, addressing Kuwait directly in a speech before expatriate Filipinos living in South Korea.
“I’m sorry for the language that I was using but I’m very satisfied with... how you responded to the problems of my country.”
Authorities in Manila say around 262,000 Filipinos worked in Kuwait before February, with many employed as household maids.
They are among over two million Filipinos employed in the region, whose remittances are a lifeline to the Philippine economy.
Kuwaiti authorities expelled Manila’s envoy in April over footage showing embassy staff helping Filipino workers flee allegedly abusive bosses in Kuwait.
Tensions cooled last month after the two nations sealed an agreement on workplace safety guarantees for Filipinos working in Kuwait, prompting Duterte to lift the employment ban.
On Sunday, Duterte said he hoped to visit Kuwait to express his gratitude.
“I’d like to thank the Kuwaiti government for understanding us and keeping their faith (in) us and practically (giving in) to all of my demands,” Duterte said.
His demands included giving Filipino workers a day off and seven hours of sleep each night, as well as allowing them to keep their passports and phones — often confiscated by employers, Duterte said.
Philippines’ Duterte apologizes to Kuwait for ‘harsh’ words
Philippines’ Duterte apologizes to Kuwait for ‘harsh’ words
Omani, Pakistani navies conduct joint passage exercise to enhance interoperability
- The development came as a Pakistani flotilla visited Port Sultan Qaboos in Muscat on overseas deployment
- Pakistan, Oman are maritime neighbors and frequently hold visits of dignitaries, port calls and joint exercises
ISLAMABAD: The Omani and Pakistani navies conducted a joint passage exercise in regional waters aimed at enhancing interoperability and strengthening maritime cooperation between the two countries, Pakistan Navy said on Sunday.
The development came after a Pakistani flotilla, comprising naval ships Rah Naward and Madadgar and a Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) ship PMSS Kashmir, visited Port Sultan Qaboos in Muscat, according to the Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) of Pakistan Navy.
“Following the port call, PN and PMSA ships conducted a passage exercise with Royal Oman Navy ship KHASAB,” the DGPR said in a statement.
“The exercise at sea aimed to enhance interoperability between the two navies and promote shared learning through bilateral conduct of naval exercises.”
During the visit, Pakistani Mission Commander Commodore Amir Iqbal, along with commanding officers, held meetings with Omani naval leadership, according to the statement.
“During these interactions, matters of mutual interest, navy-to-navy engagements, and cooperation in maritime security were discussed,” the statement read.
“RNO (Royal Navy of Oman) officers and midshipmen also visited onboard ships and discussed topics of mutual maritime interest with PN officers.”
Pakistan and Oman are maritime neighbors and frequently hold visits of dignitaries, port calls by ships and joint exercises.
Last month, naval commanders of Pakistan and Oman met in Islamabad and signed an agreement to share shipping information with each other.
“The MoU is aimed at establishing of guidelines and procedures for information sharing in order to enhance mutual awareness of white shipping,” Pakistan Navy said in a statement.
