| Date: 02/05/2012 Time: 10:17:00 AM |
In a sign of closer cooperation to satisfy
all international obligations on both sides, Kuwait and Iraq sent a joint
request to the UN, Tuesday, requesting a tripartite meeting this week to
consider measures to start maintenance of the border demarcation between the
two northern Arabian Gulf countries.
The letter in this regard was initialed by Kuwait Permanent Representative
to the United Nations Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi and Iraqi counterpart Hamid
Al-Bayyati and addressed to UN Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs,
Lynn Pascoe.
Ambassador Al-Otaibi told KUNA the letter expresses a joint desire for the
UN to uphold its legal obligation in implementing maintenance of the border
demarcation, in view of Security Council Resolution 833.
The issue of the border demarcations had repeatedly been pushed back since
February 2006 when a UN technical team visited the border area and requested
that Iraq remove residential and other structure erected in the area and
preventing proper identification of the demarcation.
"Implementing resolution 833 could create an atmosphere conducive to
building trust and boosting bilateral relations to benefit both parties.
"There had been positive developments in our bilateral relations, such as
exchange of visits by officials of the highest levels. His Highness the Amir
also recently took part in the last Arab Summit held in Baghdad, and our two
countries also convened the Higher Joint Committee and signed a Memo of
Understanding (MoU) on managing traffic in Abdullah Inlet (Khor Abdullah)."
On the issue of POWs, missing, and Kuwaiti property, the ambassador said
there was discussion on this point at the committee meeting and it continues.
"This is a humanitarian issue on which there is no debate. Kuwait appreciates
the Iraqi government's efforts and knows it is impossible to realize any real
progress on these dossiers without full Iraqi cooperation.
"We hope this cooperation continues; we still have 370 people the fate of
whom is still unascertained. And there is also the State of Kuwait Archive,
which is still missing," Al-Otaibi said.
The diplomat said Kuwait is working with Iraq to help the latter out of
provisions of Article VII of the UN Charter. "It is in all parties' interest
and for the interest of peace and stability in the region to see all
international obligations satisfied and dossiers closed." |