LOC13:03
10:03 GMT
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 14 (KUNA) -- Kuwait suffered losses amounting to some
USD 60 billion from the 1990 Iraqi invasion of the Gulf state, said Kuwait's
Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Abdullah Al-Murad late Thursday.
The ambassador's statement to KUNA, following a meeting with
representatives of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, was to
clarify a misquote carried by KUNA and published by Kuwaiti newspapers on
Tuesday, reporting that Kuwait spend USD 60 billion for the reconstruction of
Iraq, when this was in fact the sum of Kuwaiti losses from the Iraqi invasion.
He explained that there was a misquote, and reiterated that Kuwait suffered
losses amounting to around USD 60 billion from the seven-month Iraqi invasion
of Kuwait.
Al-Murad noted that the UN Security Council was the only body with the
authority to decide over the reduction of the percentage of Iraq's
contribution to the Compensations Fund from the current five percent to one or
two percent.
He added that the UN Compensations Committee approved USD 24 billion in
compensations for the State of Kuwait, resulting from the Iraqi invasion,
noting that State of Kuwait had not yet received any of this money and that
all compensations that had so far been paid out were for individuals,
companies, or other governments that suffered from the Iraqi invasion of
Kuwait.
Kuwait will abide by any decision taken by the UN Security Council with
regard to the compensations, he said, adding that Kuwait was ready to sit down
with Iraq under the UN's umbrella to discuss this matter, as well as
investment projects.
Al-Murad, moreover, said that he had met with representatives of the
permanent members of the UN Security Council over the past few days to explain
Kuwait's stance as to Resolutions 833 and 772 related to Kuwaiti-Iraqi
borders, maintenance of border markers, and other pending issues, adding that
all those he met with "supported Kuwait's position on the need to maintain
Resolution 833 as it currently stands."
Resolution 833 of 1993 demands that Iraq and Kuwait - in accordance with
international law and relevant Security Council resolutions - respect the
inviolability of the international boundary, as demarcated by the UN
Iraq-Kuwait Boundary Demarcation Commission, and underlines and reaffirms its
decision to guarantee the inviolability of the international boundary and to
take as appropriate all necessary measures to that end in accordance with the
Charter.
Al-Murad also underscored the importance of resolving all pending issues
between the two countries, including the return of remains of POWs and
property, especially the national archives.
He expressed support for the mission of the UN Secretary General's
High-Level Coordinator on the issue of missing persons from Iraq's invasion of
Kuwait, Gennady Tarasov.
The UN Security Council is expected to look with a few weeks into these
matters, which were raised by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in his recent
report. (end)
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