‘Iraq seeks settling pending UN issues’ – We owe Kuwait: Ja’afari

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Foreign Minister Ibrahim Al-Ja’afari

NEW YORK, Sept 24, (KUNA): The Baghdad government is working on settling all outstanding issues with the UN Security Council related to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in order to return to the international fold, Foreign Minister Ibrahim Al-Ja’afari said Saturday. “Iraq is keen on respecting international legitimacy and dealing with the Security Council resolutions with the State of Kuwait, with utmost responsibility and respect,” Ja’afari told the 72nd Session UN General Assembly’s (UNGA 72).

Iraq’s 1990-91 invasion of Kuwait caused massive damage, and the UN Security Council (UNSC) ordered Iraq to pay billions of US dollars in compensations for Kuwait for the damaged caused by Iraq’s seven-month occupation.

“We still have compensations to pay for the State of Kuwait, and negotiations are underway to settle the issue,” said Ja’afari. Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said in remarks during a meeting in New York yesterday, that Kuwait had approved Iraq’s requests to postpone, for three consecutive years, the payment of compensations. Kuwait is hosting an international donor conference in the first quarter next year to build areas liberated from the so-called Islamic State (IS).

Ja’afari said Iraq was “looking forward to active international participation in the donor conference that will be held earlier next year in the State of Kuwait, and we appreciate its (Kuwait) sincere efforts to helping Iraq and ease suffering of the displaced.” Meanwhile, the Iraqi chief diplomat said his country wanted good neighborly relations and “not to subject our will to a foreign intervention.” He added his government was exerting continuous efforts to improve ties with all the Arab countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, and Syria, besides Turkey and Iran.

Ja’afari reiterated his government’s rejection to a referendum to be carried out by the provincial government of Iraqi Kurdistan, saying the Federal Government was ready to sit on the table with Kurdish officials for unconditional settlement of all sticky issues. He called on friends of Iraq to help the country build a nuclear reactor to be used for peaceful purposes.

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