BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Kuwait’s Oil Minister, Mohammed al-Buseiry, has strongly denied Iraqi media reports that its Prime Minister, Sheikh Nasser Mohammed al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Subah, had granted gifts and cash for Iraqi officials to close eyes towards the building of Mabarak Port, in difference between both countries, according to the Kuwaiti KUNA News Agency on Saturday.
“I strongly deny such reports that were published and then denied, in a statement to the Iraqi media, by the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Baghdad, Ali al-Mu’min,” KUNA quoted Buseiry, the official spokesman for the Kuwaiti government as saying.
Noteworthy is that Iraq’s Foreign Minister, Hoshiar Zibary, had said in his speech at the UN General Assembly on 21/9/2011 that the Iraqi experts, who visited Kuwait regarding the Mubarak Port’s crisis had raised their report to the Council of Ministers, denying Iraq’s unrealistic fears towards the Port, thing that created a wave of condemnations by Iraqi legislatures and politicians.
Busairy said that “the brothers in Iraq have got acquainted with all facts related to the Grand Mubarak Port, during their visit and the talks they carried out had been positive and took place within joint respect and understanding by both sides.”
“The state of Kuwait strongly regrets such irresponsible statements that severely harm officials of both sides and undermine the fraternal relations between the two sisterly countries,” Minister Busairy added.
Kuwait had announced on April 6th last the beginning of its construction of the Mubarak Port project, one year after Iraq’s announcement of its intention to build its Grand Faw Port.
Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs & Development Minister, Ahmed al-Fahad, had stated that the project, contract for which was signed with the South-Korean Hondai Company, would be “friendly for environment,” adding that the project would achieve hopes and ambitions of the Kuwaiti people, who always wished that a port with such strategic and active position would be built, in order to make Kuwait a financial and trade center on both regional and international levels.”
But Iraq had strongly criticized the project and its government and Parliament officials had considered the project as “harmful for the interests of Iraq, because it would strangle the narrow water passage, that leads to the Iraqi ports, demanding Kuwait to change the position of the port, in such a way that does not harm Iraqi interests.”
SKH (FT)
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