Addis Ababa, — Minister of Labor and Skills Muferiat Kamil said Ethiopia will continue to expand the legal employment of Ethiopians abroad protecting their rights and dignity.

Ethiopia and Kuwait signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to work on legal employment of Ethiopian citizens together.

The minister on the occasion said this negotiation took over a year.

The agreement between the countries will enable Ethiopians to be legally employed in Kuwait with their rights and dignity protected, she stressed.

The ministry has reformed the legal framework regarding foreign employment, she stated.

Legal employment abroad opens doors for Ethiopians, boosting both job prospects and cultural ties with destination countries, the minister emphasized.

According to her, this agreement with Kuwait exemplifies Ethiopia's new citizen-oriented diplomacy, prioritizing the well-being and opportunities of its people.

Ethiopia will negotiate with firm position to secure safe, healthy and fair employment for its citizens abroad.

Negotiations will focus on safe working conditions, proper insurance, fair wages, and benefits, the minister pointed out.

According to her, Ethiopian embassies and destination countries are conducting monitoring to identify and address issues early.

She also mentioned that Ethiopia's strong bargaining power for legal employment abroad has made the destination countries understand that the government is closely monitoring the affairs of its citizens.

Kuwaiti Ambassador to Ethiopia, Nayef Al-Otaibi stated the longstanding ties between Ethiopia and Kuwait, encompassing people-to-people connections, trade and investment, and legal employment collaborations.

The newly signed legal employment agreement, he explained, would act as a catalyst for even closer cooperation, fostering stronger people-to-people, trade and economic ties, he added.

Both sides expressed a commitment to elevating the historical friendship to new heights by expanding trade and investment ventures.

The two countries are working on an agreement that allows them to cooperate in the fields of natural oil, gas and air transport. Beyond trade, Kuwait actively invests in agriculture to ensure food security.