Elyawer in Kuwait carrying the two files of compensations, debts
Kuwait-Iraq, Politics, 11/1/2004

The Iraqi Interim President Ghazi Elyawer is to hold talks with the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Jabber al-Ahmad al-Sabah, and several government officials relating to economic and security issues and the borders. The talks will be concentrating on the two files of debts and compensations accumulated on Iraq as a result of its invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

Replying to a question on the possibility of agreeing to the reduction of compensation the chairman of the Kuwait's center for strategic studies Sami al-Faraj said that "the Kuwaiti people will not give up compensations for the families of the killed until the file is submitted to peace treaty," considering that the two states are still in a state of war.

Al-Faraj added in a statement that "giving up or reducing the compensations is considered a historical incident, because there is no country which ever gave up to another material compensations as a result of invasion." So far, Kuwait received compensations at a value of $ 10 billion out of $ 40 billion agreed upon by the compensation committee in the UN. However, Kuwait asks for compensations surpassing $ 170 billion from Iraq.

On reducing Iraq's debts to Kuwait, estimated at $ 16 billion, al-Faraj said that the debts are the responsibility of the state and since the Kuwaiti nation's council ( Parliament) decided to negotiate over reducing the debt in January this year "it will be the paper by which Kuwait will have the liberty to maneuver in comparison with the compensations."

Worthy mentioning that diplomatic relations were resumed between Iraq and Kuwait in August when the two countries agreed -- during the visit of the Iraqi interim prime minister Eyad Allawi to Kuwait -- to resume the relations after they were severed in 1990. Allawi did not apologize during his visit, for the invasion. A matter which annoyed the Kuwaiti officials then.

Elwayer's visit came 18 months after the collapse of Saddam Hussein regime which ordered the invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. The Iraqi occupation lasted for 7 months before it was expelled by an international coalition led by the USA in 1991. After Kuwait, Elyawer will head for the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain at an official invitation from the two states.

Previous Stories:
  The first visit for an Iraqi president, Elyawer in Kuwait today   (10/30/2004)
  al-Khaleij: Iraqi interim president to visit Kuwait   (10/23/2004)
  Kuwait: $ 367 million for persons damaged from the Iraqi invasion   (9/25/2004)

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