Kuwait to Confront Iraqi Court Ruling on Khor Abdullah

Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (KUNA)
Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (KUNA)
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Kuwait to Confront Iraqi Court Ruling on Khor Abdullah

Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (KUNA)
Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (KUNA)

Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah discussed the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court's ruling over the Khor Abdullah waterway agreement with his British counterpart James Cleverly.

A statement from the Foreign Ministry reported that the call addressed the bilateral relations and the latest developments in the region.

The statement also mentioned that the call discussed the repercussions of the decision of the Federal Supreme Court in Iraq, which ruled that the law ratifying the agreement regulating navigation in the Khor Abdullah waterway was unconstitutional.

The two officials also touched on Iraq's cancellation of the security swap protocol in Khor Abdullah, signed with Kuwait in 2008, the Ministry concluded.

The Iraqi Parliament and the Kuwaiti National Assembly had previously approved the agreement and submitted it to the UN.

However, the Federal Iraqi Court ruled it “unconstitutional”.

Kuwait's Foreign Minister also discussed the issue with the French Ambassador to Kuwait, Claire Le Flecher, and the Russian Ambassador, Vladimir Zheltov, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Ministry stated that discussion highlighted the implications of the Federal Iraqi Court's decision, the historical fallacies, and Iraq's cancellation of the security swap protocol.

Furthermore, Sheikh Salem addressed the Iraqi court's decision in a meeting with the US Deputy Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Barbara Leaf, in New York ahead of his meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Blinken reaffirmed the US commitment to preserving Kuwati's security and sovereignty and the safety of its territory and the region.

The meeting also discussed the details of the Federal Iraqi Court's decision regarding the Khor Abdullah Maritime Navigation Agreement.

Furthermore, the annual coordination meeting of the Ministerial Council for Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries discussed the court decision in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

The Ministers stressed the importance of Iraq's commitment to Kuwait's sovereignty and territorial integrity and respect for international conventions and UN resolutions, especially UNSC Resolution 833 regarding the demarcation of the Kuwait-Iraq boundary.

They called for the complete demarcation of the Kuwait-Iraq maritime boundary beyond boundary point 162, urging the Iraqi government to resolve the domestic legal status of the 2012 Kuwait-Iraq Agreement.

They called on Iraq and the UN to exert maximum effort to resolve all the issues.



GCC Welcomes Agreement between Yemen Govt, Houthis

Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
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GCC Welcomes Agreement between Yemen Govt, Houthis

Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi welcomed on Wednesday the agreement between the legitimate Yemeni government and Iran-backed Houthi militias to de-escalate the situation with regard to the Yemeni banking sector and airlines.

The agreement was announced by the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, on Tuesday.

Albudaiwi expressed the GCC's support for all regional and international efforts and the efforts led by the UN special envoy aimed at achieving peace and security in Yemen.

The announcement underscores the importance the international community attaches to the Yemeni crisis, he added, hoping the agreement will pave the way for Yemeni parties to start the political process, under UN auspices, to reach a comprehensive political solution that achieves security and stability in the country.

He reiterated the GCC's continued support and full solidarity with Yemen, its government and people, and its keenness to encourage all efforts to de-escalate and maintain stability in order to reach peace.