India and Kuwait initial MoU on domestic workers’ recruitment
New Joint Working Groups eyed Birds help maintain ecological balance: Dr Al-Zaidan EPA determined to protect islands, biodiversity
KUWAIT CITY, June 12, (KUNA): The Environment Public Authority (EPA) said it is keen and determined to carry out inspection tours of the Kuwaiti islands periodically during the weekend, especially the islands that the people frequent during the summer such as Kubbar, Qaruh and Umm AlMaradem to follow up on the situation of these islands.
The EPA said raising awareness of the visitors to the island is of prime importance to protect the islands from environmental damage and their natural components, calling this a shared social responsibility.
Deputy Director-General for Technical Affairs at the EPA, Dr. Abdullah Al-Zaidan, told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Friday, that the authority is carrying out these inspection tours in cooperation with the concerned authorities to implement the environmental protection law, whereby the islands are inspected and the encroachments on the coasts and underwater are monitored to ensure the safety of coral and living creatures.
Dr. Al-Zaidan added the EPA is currently working to evaluate the environmental conditions on the islands and will soon monitor and document sea turtles in order to preserve them and their sustainability, and to educate the public in general and visitors to these islands in particular about the importance of co-existing with these creatures since they form part of the
endangered species.
He explained the authority recently documented the nesting of terns (a tern is a seabird related to the gulls, typically smaller and more slender, with long pointed wings and a forked tail) in cooperation with the EPA ‘lens team’ on the Kubbar Island, where they are found in abundance and are considered one of the most important habitats in Kuwait.
He mentioned there are three species of terns that inhabit the island in the summer from May to August, -- Legma, white-cheeked and small crested -- indicating that these birds migrate to Kuwait in March and then leave south at the beginning of September, and few of them are seen in the winter on the
island of Kubbar.
He stated in July 2001, about four thousand birds were recorded in the hatchery in Kubbar, and indicated these birds travel thousands of kilometers, thus linking ecosystems in different parts of the world, where they feed on fish and crustaceans.
Dr. Al-Zaidan stressed the importance of preserving these birds, whose presence helps to maintain the ecological balance due to their role in transferring seeds and nutrients from one place to another and help preserve the environment of these islands to ensure the sustainability of the existence of these types of birds and the preservation of biodiversity.
KUWAIT CITY, June 12, (Agencies): During the recent visit of India’s External Affairs Minister to Dr. S. Jaishankar to Kuwait to enhance high level political exchanges in the context of 60th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Kuwait, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between both sides within the ambit of a legal framework which streamlines the recruitment of domestic workers, says a press release issued by the embassy.
The employment contract ensures the rights and obligations of both the employer and the domestic workers and establishes a mechanism for 24 hours assistance to the employees of this denomination. It provides for the establishment of a joint committee for periodic review and assressment and to follow up the implementation of the MoU which will conduct annual meetings.
The MoU was signed on behalf of India by Ambassador of India to Kuwait Sibi George and on the part of Kuwait Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kuwait Majdi Ahmad AlDhafiri put his initial on the document that will facilitate the employment of Indian domestic workers in Kuwait.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, State of Kuwait and Dr S. Jaishankar.
Kuwait and Indian has agreed to hold the first meeting of the IndiaKuwait Joint Commission Meeting later this year and also to set dates for early meetings of the Joint Working Groups on Health, Hydrocarbon and Manpower. The two sides also agreed to set up new Joint Working Groups in other areas of cooperation.
On Thursday, Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah hailed the “depth” of his country’s ties with India, saying bilateral relations remain on an upward trajectory.
Against the backdrop of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, the Kuwaiti foreign minister, amid talks with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar, said relations have made tremendous progress across numerous fields.
As the world’s second most populous nation fights an upsurge in coronavirus cases, fueled by an indigenous variant, the Indian minister said New Delhi appreciates the copious amounts of aid it has received from Kuwait to help cushion the blow from the pandemic.
Matters such as healthcare and food security were among the focal points of the talks, which also covered regional and international happenings, with both sides seeing more room for cooperation in crucial sectors such as trade and investment.
The talks also yielded a deal for the recruitment of domestic labor from India, one of many agreements that typify the growing proximity between the two countries.