Kuwait does not oppose debating the question of Iraq at the Summit
Kuwait-Iraq, Politics, 3/15/2001

The Kuwaiti foreign minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah who will next week hold a tour on the Arab states said that his country does not oppose discussing the question of Iraq during the coming Arab summit in Amman.

Sheikh Sabah said at the Kuwaiti parliament in reply to a question on his opinion over the UN sanction imposed on Kuwait during the Arab summit to be held in Amman on March 27 and 28: "we do not oppose adding such an item on the summit's agenda."

On Monday, Iraq called on the Arab leaders not to discuss the sanctions imposed on Iraq in order to avoid raising inter- Arab disputes to this end and to instead concentrate on the Palestinian cause.

Sheikh al-Sabah commented on his forthcoming tour by saying " it is time to visit my brothers in these Arab countries and I also carry messages from the ruler of Kuwait Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah relating to the Arab summit conference and consultation with the foreign ministers in these countries." The tour of the Kuwaiti foreign minister is expected to cover Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Yemen.

Meantime, the Jordanian minister of information Taleb al-Refaa said that the Arab foreign ministers who met earlier this week in Cairo asked Jordan, Egypt and Qatar to narrow the gap between Iraq and Kuwait before the summit will discuss " the situation between Iraq and Kuwait."

The Jordanian minister, however, ruled any meeting to take place between Sheikh Sabah and the Iraqi foreign minister Muhammad Saeed al-Sahaf during their visits to Jordan prior to the summit.

Replying to a question in this respect. Al-Refaa explained that the two visits of the Kuwaiti and Iraqi foreign minister will be made in different times noting that Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad will arrive in Amman on Tuesday morning carrying a message from the ruler of Kuwait to the Jordanian King while al-Sahaf will arrive in Amman on Friday following Tuesday carrying a message from President Saddam Hussein to the King.

The Jordanian foreign minister stressed his country's care to reach positive results concerning the Kuwaiti- Iraqi differences but he, on the other hand noted that Amman does not expect " magic solutions," noting that that the moves carried out by each of Cairo, Doha and Amman to ease down the atmospheres between Kuwait and Iraq are being made in a more positive atmosphere.

On Wednesday, the Jordanian deputy Premier and minister of the Interior Awad Khleifat arrived in Baghdad in a private plane, carrying a message to the Iraqi President from the Jordanian King to attend the summit. The Jordanian envoy was welcomed by the Iraqi minister of the Interior Muhammad Zammam Abdul Razzaq.

Previous Stories:
  On killing of American soldiers in Kuwait   (3/14/2001)
  No economic, security future for gulf without Iraq, Kuwaiti diplomat   (3/2/2001)
  Iraq welcomes reconciliation with Kuwait   (2/22/2001)

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