NEW YORK, Sept 22 (KUNA) -- Kuwait said Friday arrangements were underway for an international donor conference to rebuild Iraqi areas liberated from the so-called Islamic State (IS), and urged Baghdad to provide suitable investment and economic environment for reconstruction.
Kuwait is waiting for a study that will pinpoint the exact damage and needs "in order to make it easy for the donor countries to specify the size and form of their contributions," Kuwait's First Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said.
He was speaking before a ministerial meeting of the global coalition countering IS. The meeting, organized by the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, discussed how to shape peace in Iraq.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said Kuwait was always supporting Iraq in its fight against terrorism with the objective of restoring security and stability nationwide.
Following the liberation of the Iraqi northern city of Mosul, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah announced that Kuwait would be hosting an international donor conference to rebuild areas liberated from militant group.
"The conference is expected to be held in the first quarter of 2018," said Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled.
He called on Iraq to provide safe investment and economic environment in order to facilitate the reconstruction process.
Iraq, he added, should also provide incentives to encourage foreign companies invest in the country, besides carrying out economic and administrative reforms.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled congratulated Iraq on the victories against IS and underlined Kuwait's firm support for "a secured, stable and peace-loving Iraq." (end) bs.asf