The Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has received an invitation to pay an official visit to Kuwait in March, Akhbaar24 reported.
The Philippine Presidency made the announcement following a meeting between Duterte and Kuwaiti Ambassador to Manila Musaid Saleh Ahmed Al Duawkh.
“Since the President mentioned it, then I can make confirmation although I was told that I should not. But there is a trip in the offing to Kuwait,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a palace briefing posted on the Philippine News Agency.
Duterte held a closed-door meeting with the Kuwaiti ambassador over the plight of Filipino workers Kuwait.
“I could only surmise that the invitation was made during the bilateral meeting. I guess Kuwait wants to assure the President that our Filipino nationals are protected in Kuwait and to see for himself,” said Roque.
President Duterte had said he might ask all Filipinos in Kuwait to return to the country if another OFW (overseas Filipino worker) dies in Kuwait. There are more than 250,000 Filipinos in Kuwait, many working as domestic helpers, according to the Philippine agency.
Other Philippine media outlets said that President Duterte had accepted the invitation, adding that the visit would be next month.