Iran, Kuwait sign security, judicial agreements

Iranian television reported on Wednesday that Kuwait and Iran have signed a protocol providing for maintaining extensive cooperation between the two countries in security and drug-trafficking fields.

The TV added that Kuwaiti Minister of the Interior Muhammad Khaled al-Ahmad al-Sabah and his Iranian counterpart Abdullah Nouri signed the 10-article protocol, which calls for the exchange of security and judicial information. According to the protocol the two countries ban illegal entry of their citizens to the other's territories, prohibit illegal fishing in the territorial waters of each as well as calling for cooperation in "chasing people wanted for trial" in both Kuwait and Iran.

During his three-day visit to Iran, the Kuwaiti minister met with Iranian President Muhammad Khatami and met twice with his counterpart Nouri. At the end of May, the governments of Kuwait and Iran discussed means of increasing their commercial exchange, estimated at US $100 million, according to Kuwaiti official figures.

Al-Nahar added that relations between the two countries witnessed a great deterioration during the Iraq - Iran war 1980-1988, but were improved on the eve of the Gulf crisis (1990-1991), when Tehran denounced the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.