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End of Iraq''s Chapter VII status soon - FM Zebari
BAGHDAD, May 30 (KUNA) -- Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshayar Zebari said Thursday that Iraq is about to end its Chapter VII status after reaching agreements with Kuwait on resolving pending issues under Chapter VI of the UN Charter.
Zebari identified the longstanding issues with Kuwait as finding and returning Kuwaiti prisoners of war and missing people; returning seized Kuwaiti properties; returning Kuwait state body archives; repairing border markers; and compensations.
"Iraq has assured the State of Kuwait, through a series of long talks, that it has no interest in hiding POWs or dead bodies, nor in keeping the seized Kuwaiti properties and (state) archives" he said.
He went on to say that "Baghdad has returned to Kuwait all in its hands of Kuwaiti archives and properties".
The Iraqi minister stressed that Baghdad is also greatly cooperating with Kuwait in the search for missing citizens. He added that Iraq and Kuwait have agreed on assigning the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) to follow up the search for and return of the missing citizens, properties and archives.
Zebari pledged to offer all help and support to any Kuwaiti team seeking to work on these files in Iraq. "The State of Kuwait has agreed to move these three files from Chapter VII to Chapter VI under the supervision of UNAMI, or any other UN body if UNAMI's mandate ends."
As for the borders markers' repair, the Iraqi top diplomat said that "the two countries have signed two memoranda of understanding in this regard; the first related to forming a joint committee to supervise border markers repairing process and the second related to financing a residential complex project in Umm Qasr for Iraqi families affected by the demarcation."
Moreover, Zebari said that the two neighbors have agreed, after difficult negotiations, to form a joint committee to administrate navigation in the channel of Khor Abdullah.
Also, "Iraq and Kuwait have agreed to drop resolution No. 833 of Chapter VII and to move it to Chapter VI," he said.
With regard to the compensations file, Zebari estimated the total value of Kuwaiti reparation at about USD 52 billion. "Iraq has paid USD 41 billion so far, and the remaining sum is only USD 11 billion. If Iraq decided to pay the remaining amount in one batch, it will immediately get out completely from Chapter VII,"But if it decides to pay the sum according to the currently applied annual deduction, the sum will be fully repaid by the end of 2015."
The Iraqi Foreign Minister described the agreements reached between the two neighboring Arab countries as a "great achievement" and a "huge step forward" towards normalizing relations and the opening of a new brighter chapter in bilateral ties. (end)
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BAGHDAD, May 30 (KUNA) -- Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshayar Zebari said Thursday that Iraq is about to end its Chapter VII status after reaching agreements with Kuwait on resolving pending issues under Chapter VI of the UN Charter.
Zebari identified the longstanding issues with Kuwait as finding and returning Kuwaiti prisoners of war and missing people; returning seized Kuwaiti properties; returning Kuwait state body archives; repairing border markers; and compensations.
"Iraq has assured the State of Kuwait, through a series of long talks, that it has no interest in hiding POWs or dead bodies, nor in keeping the seized Kuwaiti properties and (state) archives" he said.
He went on to say that "Baghdad has returned to Kuwait all in its hands of Kuwaiti archives and properties".
The Iraqi minister stressed that Baghdad is also greatly cooperating with Kuwait in the search for missing citizens. He added that Iraq and Kuwait have agreed on assigning the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) to follow up the search for and return of the missing citizens, properties and archives.
Zebari pledged to offer all help and support to any Kuwaiti team seeking to work on these files in Iraq. "The State of Kuwait has agreed to move these three files from Chapter VII to Chapter VI under the supervision of UNAMI, or any other UN body if UNAMI's mandate ends."
As for the borders markers' repair, the Iraqi top diplomat said that "the two countries have signed two memoranda of understanding in this regard; the first related to forming a joint committee to supervise border markers repairing process and the second related to financing a residential complex project in Umm Qasr for Iraqi families affected by the demarcation."
Moreover, Zebari said that the two neighbors have agreed, after difficult negotiations, to form a joint committee to administrate navigation in the channel of Khor Abdullah.
Also, "Iraq and Kuwait have agreed to drop resolution No. 833 of Chapter VII and to move it to Chapter VI," he said.
With regard to the compensations file, Zebari estimated the total value of Kuwaiti reparation at about USD 52 billion. "Iraq has paid USD 41 billion so far, and the remaining sum is only USD 11 billion. If Iraq decided to pay the remaining amount in one batch, it will immediately get out completely from Chapter VII,"But if it decides to pay the sum according to the currently applied annual deduction, the sum will be fully repaid by the end of 2015."
The Iraqi Foreign Minister described the agreements reached between the two neighboring Arab countries as a "great achievement" and a "huge step forward" towards normalizing relations and the opening of a new brighter chapter in bilateral ties. (end)
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