KUWAIT CITY, Jan 4: Indonesian Ambassador to Kuwait Lena Maryana confirmed that cooperation in the field of labor and employment between Indonesia and Kuwait is progressing positively, indicating the discussions and technical arrangements are currently underway with the Kuwaiti government in employing healthcare specialists from the Indonesian nursing professionals to work in government hospitals, reports Al-Qabas daily.

Maryana stated that there is no intention to bring domestic workers from Indonesia to Kuwait, noting the Indonesian government is committed, especially through the Indonesian Embassy in the country, to increasing the employment of skilled Indonesian workers in various official sectors in the country; including hospitality services, nursing, oil and gas, construction, manufacturing, education and automobiles. She said this policy also aims to meet the growing demand for Indonesian workers and professionals in Kuwait. She added: “The Indonesian government also gives priority to the protection of Indonesian workers abroad, including Kuwait. As a result, the number of Indonesian migrant workers facing problems in Kuwait has witnessed a significant decrease over the past few years.”

Cooperation
She noted that the Indonesian government expresses its appreciation for the cooperation between the two sides and the tremendous efforts made by both countries in protecting and ensuring the well-being of Indonesian migrant workers. She also revealed that the embassy issued 299 tourist visas to the residents in Kuwait in 2023, adding that Kuwaitis and citizens of other Gulf countries can obtain visas upon arrival in Jakarta. She praised Kuwait’s role, democracy, and foreign policy; affirming that it plays an important role in the region, and is also one of the leading countries in the field of humanitarian and relief work, confirming the depth of diplomatic relations between her country and Kuwait.

Relations
She added: “Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Kuwait on Feb 28, 1968, and the opening of the Indonesian Embassy in Kuwait in April 1976, relations and cooperation between the two countries have been constantly strengthening and showing improvement in any field, whether at the bilateral, regional or international level.” She referred to the mutual visits between leaders and high-level officials of the two countries, stating that the two countries have signed many cooperation agreements.

She revealed the second meeting of the joint committee between the two countries will be held in Jakarta next year, indicating the first meeting was held in Kuwait in 2019 under the chairmanship of Indonesian Foreign Minister Dr Retno LP Marsudi and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. She added: “Indonesia and Kuwait share many common positions on a variety of regional and international issues. Kuwait signed the instrument of accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) on Sept 4, 2023. The signing was supervised by Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah in Jakarta on the sidelines of the 43rd ASEAN Summit and related summits, making Kuwait the 54th country to join this treaty.”

The Indonesian ambassador indicated that at the end of November 2023, a delegation headed by the President of the Indonesian Supreme Court Professor Dr Muhammad Sharifuddin visited Kuwait. During this visit, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia and the Supreme Judicial Council of the State of Kuwait regarding judicial cooperation. Maryana also spoke about her country’s support for the Palestinian cause, disclosing that during the 147th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Luanda, Angola in October 2023, a delegation from the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia participated, along with delegations from Kuwait, Algeria, Iran and South Africa, in proposing an emergency clause on stopping the war and human rights violations against Gaza.