Iraq, Kuwait hold talks on border demarcation, joint oil field disputes

Baghdad, July 31 (SocialNews.XYZ) Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah paid an official visit to Iraq's capital Baghdad and held talks with Iraqi leaders in an attempt to end border demarcation and joint oil field disputes.

At a joint press conference after meeting with Al-Sabah, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said on Sunday that the two sides discussed and agreed to continue discussions on the border demarcation issue, noting that a joint higher committee will be involved to supervise the work of subcommittees.

He added that the discussion also touched upon joint oil fields between Iran and Kuwait, Xinhua news agency reported.

Hailing the discussions as "very fruitful" as there was "a consensual view on all outstanding issues," Al-Sabah stressed the need to end the maritime border demarcation file.

He added that they agreed to open a commercial attache at the Kuwaiti consulate in Basra, Iraq.

During his visit, Al-Sabah also met with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, where the two Iraqi leaders reiterated Iraq's desire to resolve the outstanding issues between the two countries through joint efforts and coordination while preserving common interests, according to official statements by the two leaders' offices.

In recent years, Kuwait and Iraq have strengthened bilateral relations which were severed following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

The land boundary between the two countries was demarcated by the UN in 1993 after the US-led war to liberate Kuwait in 1991, but their maritime borders were not mapped.

Source: IANS