The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the United States called in a joint statement today, Wednesday, for the completion of the maritime border demarcation between Kuwait and Iraq "beyond marker number 162." This statement follows a meeting of the foreign ministers of the GCC states, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and the Secretary-General of the GCC, Jasem Al-Budaiwi, in New York.
They also urged the Iraqi government to "expedite the resolution of the internal legal situation to ensure the continued application of the agreement regulating maritime navigation in Khor Abdullah between Kuwait and Iraq from 2012."
The statement reiterated the ministers' support for UN Security Council Resolution 2107 (2013) regarding the referral of the file related to the return of all Kuwaitis to their homeland, including missing Kuwaitis, and the return of Kuwaiti property, including the national archives, to the United Nations mission in Iraq. They called on Iraq and the UN to make every effort to reach a solution to all issues related to this matter.
Tensions have increased between Kuwait and Iraq following a decision by the Federal Supreme Court deeming the agreement regulating navigation in the Khor Abdullah waterway between the two countries unconstitutional. The court stated that the law under which the agreement was ratified required the approval of two-thirds of the parliament's members. The agreement was reached in 2012 and ratified by each country in its legislative council in 2013.
On the Iranian nuclear issue, the GCC countries and the United States reiterated their calls for Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
