Iraq, Kuwait bilateral ties

The Kuwaiti-Iraqi higher joint committee meetings started here on Sunday. Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari presided over the Iraqi delegation while Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah headed the Kuwaiti delegation. Discussions will focus on bilateral agreements in the commercial, legal, and economic fields, in addition to bolstering relations on the political, investment, and economical levels and converging views between both countries. Furthermore, the talks will address several issues particularly developing operational mechanisms for the maintenance of border markers, after this issue has been agreed upon during Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's visit to Kuwait mid-March, as well as proposals by the Iraqi side concerning technical inquiries over the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port, particularly after Iraq has announced initiating the execution of Fao Port. The conference's agenda also include political cooperation between both countries in addition to economic and investment relations as well as Iraqi projects of interest to the Kuwaiti side, particularly after the agreement to build a joint airline worth $200 million within the framework of Kuwait Airways' debt settlement with its Iraqi counterpart. The Iraqi Premier met with the Kuwaiti delegation today in joint committee meetings.