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Afghanistan wants professionals and skilled labour from Sri Lanka
View(s):By Chamal Weerakkody
Afghanistan is to offer Sri Lankans employment opportunities in a range of fields. The country needs engineers, architects, information technology professionals, technical personnel and accountants for development and cultural work, said visiting Afghanistan Foreign Minister Dr. Zalmai Rassoul. Dr. Rassoul.
The Afghanistan Foreign Minister gave a talk on “Afghanistan today and beyond 2014” at the Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday, December 19.
Nissanka N. Wijeratne, Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare, told the Sunday Times that the Afghanistan government was serious about recruiting Asian professionals and technicians, especially Sri Lankans, to assist in the country’s development work.
“The agreement to send Sri Lankan professionals and skilled manpower to Afghanistan will be signed within the next two months,” Mr. Wijeratne said.
Employing Asians would save his country two-thirds the cost of employing professionals from the West, the Afghanistan Foreign Minister said. Permanent diplomatic missions will have to be established between both countries before the agreement is signed. This is to ensure the safety of Sri Lankan employees. The safety of Sri Lankans in Afghanistan will be a key concern.
The Afghanistan Foreign Minister has requested the Sri Lanka Government to give Afghan students places in local universities to study medicine, engineering, agriculture and technology.
Bilateral discussions focused mainly on trade and commerce, culture, employment opportunities and education. Participating in the talks were Ministers Rauff Hakeem, T. B. Ekanayake and Secretaries of Ministries, as well as the Vice-Chancellor of the Kotelawala Defence Academy.
Joining the Afghanistan Foreign Minister in the discussions were Shaida M. Abdali, Non-Resident Ambassador of Afghanistan to Sri Lanka; Azizudin Ahmadzada, Director General, First Political Division of the Afghanistan Foreign Ministry, and Saed Abdul Bashir Sadaat, Deputy Spokesman of Afghanistan Foreign Ministry.
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