Kuwait will not give up rights to Iraqi compensations

Kuwait renewed yesterday its right that it will not drop the Iraqi debts, nor its right to compensation for losses inflicted on it during the Gulf war.

In a statement broadcast by the Kuwaiti news agency, the Kuwaiti foreign ministry said that the "Kuwaiti debts against Iraq are still there and there is no inclination to drop it," stressing that Kuwait "deals with this matter according to UN security council resolutions to this effect."

By the beginning of October, Kuwait had defended its right to compensations estimated at billions of US dollars over the damage that resulted from the invasion of the Iraqi forces to its land in August, 1990.

During the Madrid conference for Donor Countries, Kuwait vowed to provide Iraq with an aid of 1.5 billion dollars, so far spent. However, this step raised angry reactions in the Kuwaiti parliament that voiced rejecting any aid to Baghdad and for giving up any part of the compensations.