Speaker says Iraq to work with Kuwait on pending issues
Iraq''s exit from Chapter VII ''far from easy'': MPs
Mohammed AlـSalman
Mohammed AlـKhaldi
Staff Writers
KUWAIT: Kuwaiti lawmakers on Monday voiced concern that the government might work out a deal to drop part of the compensations owed by Iraq as a result of its 1990ـ1991 occupation of Kuwait. They strongly rejected Iraq''s exit from the U.N. Security Council Chapter VII before it settles all pending issues, adding that such a decision should be made by the international community. Iraqi Parliament Speaker Iyad AlـSamarrai, who is visiting Kuwait, met with his Kuwaiti counterpart Speaker Jassem AlـKharafi on Monday. AlـSamarrai stressed on Iraq''s right to be exempted from Chapter VII and underlined the importance of building up relations with Kuwait.
The Iraqi speaker reiterated the MPs willingness in building multiple and brotherly relations between Iraq and Kuwait. The parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee asserted that nobody in Kuwait reserves the right to form committees with Iraq, saying that the issues between the two countries are related to U.N. resolutions. The committee''s convener Musallam AlـBarrak told reporters at the National Assembly that any attempt to implicate the Kuwaiti Parliament through the formation of joint committees would only result in deepening differences.
MP Khaled AlـTahous affirmed that the idea of exempting Iraq from Chapter VII is totally unacceptable. According to him, Iraq must first understand that the issues at stake have to do with U.N. resolutions, and it therefore must comply with them.
Other lawmakers recalled the crimes committed against humanity during the sevenـmonth Iraqi occupation of Kuwait. They stressed that pending issues between the two countries should be solved under the umbrella of Chapter VII, which they said; "was a far from easy" settlement to achieve since it requires tremendous efforts on the part of both Iraq and Kuwait.
Parliament Speaker AlـKharafi asserted that his country will help bring Iraq out of Chapter VII after all pending issues between both countries are settled.
The meeting with Iraqi Speaker Iyad AlـSamarrai was attended by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Abdullah AlـRoumi, the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Iraq Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed AlـMoamen, the Chairman of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee Marzouq AlـGhanim, among other committee members.
AlـSamarrai pointed out that His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlـAhmad AlـSabah affirmed, during an audience with him, his profound desire for better relations to benefit the two countries at all levels. The Iraqi official further stated that he was engaged in detailed discussions with AlـKharafi and other lawmakers regarding means of bolstering bilateral cooperation, the importance of a joint committee to boost ties, exchanging visits and removing any obstacles or differences.
He disclosed that he had extended an invitation to AlـKharafi to visit Iraq, adding that the proposed friendship committee between the two parliaments will hopefully cooperate on a host of issues. The speaker noted that the Kuwaiti position on helping Iraq was very clear, and expressed optimism that the sticky issues will be resolved so that Iraq can be removed from the chapter.
In a related development, the Kuwaiti Society Representing Families of Martyrs and Missing Persons sent an open letter to the Iraqi speaker on the occasion of his visit to Kuwait, affirming its opposition to the idea of removing Kuwait from Chapter VII unless pending issues are addressed, including the fate of missing Kuwaiti citizens. The society''s Chairman Fayez AlـEnezi stressed that Iraq shouldn''t be removed from Chapter VII unless it complies with all relevant Security Council Resolutions.
Last updated on Tuesday 7/7/2009
http://alwatandaily.alwatan.com.kw/Default.aspx?MgDid=774196&pageId=471
Iraq''s exit from Chapter VII ''far from easy'': MPs
Mohammed AlـSalman
Mohammed AlـKhaldi
Staff Writers
KUWAIT: Kuwaiti lawmakers on Monday voiced concern that the government might work out a deal to drop part of the compensations owed by Iraq as a result of its 1990ـ1991 occupation of Kuwait. They strongly rejected Iraq''s exit from the U.N. Security Council Chapter VII before it settles all pending issues, adding that such a decision should be made by the international community. Iraqi Parliament Speaker Iyad AlـSamarrai, who is visiting Kuwait, met with his Kuwaiti counterpart Speaker Jassem AlـKharafi on Monday. AlـSamarrai stressed on Iraq''s right to be exempted from Chapter VII and underlined the importance of building up relations with Kuwait.
The Iraqi speaker reiterated the MPs willingness in building multiple and brotherly relations between Iraq and Kuwait. The parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee asserted that nobody in Kuwait reserves the right to form committees with Iraq, saying that the issues between the two countries are related to U.N. resolutions. The committee''s convener Musallam AlـBarrak told reporters at the National Assembly that any attempt to implicate the Kuwaiti Parliament through the formation of joint committees would only result in deepening differences.
MP Khaled AlـTahous affirmed that the idea of exempting Iraq from Chapter VII is totally unacceptable. According to him, Iraq must first understand that the issues at stake have to do with U.N. resolutions, and it therefore must comply with them.
Other lawmakers recalled the crimes committed against humanity during the sevenـmonth Iraqi occupation of Kuwait. They stressed that pending issues between the two countries should be solved under the umbrella of Chapter VII, which they said; "was a far from easy" settlement to achieve since it requires tremendous efforts on the part of both Iraq and Kuwait.
Parliament Speaker AlـKharafi asserted that his country will help bring Iraq out of Chapter VII after all pending issues between both countries are settled.
The meeting with Iraqi Speaker Iyad AlـSamarrai was attended by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Abdullah AlـRoumi, the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Iraq Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed AlـMoamen, the Chairman of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee Marzouq AlـGhanim, among other committee members.
AlـSamarrai pointed out that His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlـAhmad AlـSabah affirmed, during an audience with him, his profound desire for better relations to benefit the two countries at all levels. The Iraqi official further stated that he was engaged in detailed discussions with AlـKharafi and other lawmakers regarding means of bolstering bilateral cooperation, the importance of a joint committee to boost ties, exchanging visits and removing any obstacles or differences.
He disclosed that he had extended an invitation to AlـKharafi to visit Iraq, adding that the proposed friendship committee between the two parliaments will hopefully cooperate on a host of issues. The speaker noted that the Kuwaiti position on helping Iraq was very clear, and expressed optimism that the sticky issues will be resolved so that Iraq can be removed from the chapter.
In a related development, the Kuwaiti Society Representing Families of Martyrs and Missing Persons sent an open letter to the Iraqi speaker on the occasion of his visit to Kuwait, affirming its opposition to the idea of removing Kuwait from Chapter VII unless pending issues are addressed, including the fate of missing Kuwaiti citizens. The society''s Chairman Fayez AlـEnezi stressed that Iraq shouldn''t be removed from Chapter VII unless it complies with all relevant Security Council Resolutions.
Last updated on Tuesday 7/7/2009
http://alwatandaily.alwatan.com.kw/Default.aspx?MgDid=774196&pageId=471