Iraqi Lawmaker’s Visit to Kuwait Border Triggers ‘Khor Abdullah’ Crisis

Kuwaiti lawmakers attend the opening ceremony of the 17th parliamentary term at the National Assembly (parliament) in Kuwait City on October 31, 2023. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)
Kuwaiti lawmakers attend the opening ceremony of the 17th parliamentary term at the National Assembly (parliament) in Kuwait City on October 31, 2023. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)
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Iraqi Lawmaker’s Visit to Kuwait Border Triggers ‘Khor Abdullah’ Crisis

Kuwaiti lawmakers attend the opening ceremony of the 17th parliamentary term at the National Assembly (parliament) in Kuwait City on October 31, 2023. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)
Kuwaiti lawmakers attend the opening ceremony of the 17th parliamentary term at the National Assembly (parliament) in Kuwait City on October 31, 2023. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)

The visit of Saud Al-Saadi, an Iraqi parliamentarian, to the Kuwaiti border has triggered a crisis regarding the Khor Abdullah Agreement and certain border issues.

The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry has called on the Iraqi Parliament to provide clarification regarding Al-Saadi’s crossing of the demarcation lines between the two countries.

Al-Saadi, a deputy representing the “Hoqooq” parliamentary bloc, had previously contested the agreement and secured a ruling from the Federal Court in early September, which invalidated Parliament’s approval of it in 2013.

Despite Kuwaiti demands for clarification from the Iraqi Parliament regarding Al-Saadi’s visit to the border, which occurred in August, the leakage of this information to the public prompted a response from the lawmaker.

“We were surprised by the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs notifying us of a phone call between the Deputy Foreign Minister of Kuwait and the Iraqi Ambassador to Kuwait, which contained baseless allegations,” said Al-Saadi.

Al-Saadi emphasized that he would proceed with legal measures and issue an official warning against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has been reluctant to implement the Federal Supreme Court’s decision, despite its binding validity on all authorities, both inside and outside Iraq, in accordance with Article 94 of the Constitution.

Furthermore, he called on the government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Permanent Representative of Iraq to the UN, to submit and register the decision of the Federal Supreme Court with the UN Secretariat.

Soon after Baghdad made the declaration on backing down from the Khor Abdullah accord, the Kuwaiti Cabinet issued a statement affirming that the resolution included baseless allegations, urging Baghdad to take serious and urgent steps to “tackle the negative consequences of these developments.”

This came on the heels of Kuwaiti Assistant Foreign Minister Ambassador Ahmad Al-Bakr lodging a memo of complaint with the Iraqi Ambassador to Kuwait Al-Menhel Al-Safi.



Gulf, EU Leaders Meet for First Summit against Background of Mideast Turmoil

European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Saudi Arabia Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud pose during an official welcome ceremony on the day of the joint European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, in Brussels Belgium October 16, 2024. (Reuters)
European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Saudi Arabia Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud pose during an official welcome ceremony on the day of the joint European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, in Brussels Belgium October 16, 2024. (Reuters)
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Gulf, EU Leaders Meet for First Summit against Background of Mideast Turmoil

European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Saudi Arabia Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud pose during an official welcome ceremony on the day of the joint European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, in Brussels Belgium October 16, 2024. (Reuters)
European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Saudi Arabia Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud pose during an official welcome ceremony on the day of the joint European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, in Brussels Belgium October 16, 2024. (Reuters)

The leaders of six Gulf nations and European Union met for an inaugural summit on Wednesday against a backdrop of turmoil in the Middle East and struggles to find a unified position on the war in Ukraine and relations with Russia.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, led Saudi Arabia’s delegation to the meeting in Brussels.

The summit was expected to encompass everything from visas and trade to the situation in the Middle East.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said the summit was “long overdue” and added that “the economic ties between the European Union and the Gulf countries need to be strengthened."

“They are there, but they have the potential to be developed much, much further,” he said.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that “to be strategic partners means to listen to each other, to respect each other, to trust each other.”

She also highlighted the need for cooperation on pressing geopolitical issues like the war in Ukraine and that of Israel against Hamas and Hezbollah groups.

“We cannot implement our economic ambitions without security,” she said.

The 27-nation EU has long had relations with the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which include Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait.