LOC23:51
20:51 GMT
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 16 (KUNA) -- Iraqi Ambassador to the UN Hamid Al-Bayati
on Tuesday predicted that "a package deal" will be reached with Kuwait about
"everything" after the Iraqi elections scheduled for March 7th.
Al-Bayati told KUNA following a Security Council meeting on the situation
in Iraq that "a package deal about everything will be reached after the
elections." He did not elaborate.
He later told reporters that there are three outstanding issues with
Kuwait: the missing persons and property, the compensation fund and the border.
He recalled that Iraq paid more than USD 27 billion in compensation to
those affected by the 1990 invasion of Kuwait, and is expected to pay USD 25
billion more.
"This issue will not be closed until all the compensations are paid in full,
" he stressed.
"We are working to resolve all these outstanding issues. There are now good
relations with the brotherly State of Kuwait. But this needs time and efforts,
as there are newly discovered mass graves, and hopefully, we will find in them
the remains of some Kuwaiti missing persons," he said
For the sanctions regime, he said Iraq is no longer a threat to
international peace and security and does not possess weapons of mass
destruction (WMD).
"We believe it is high time for the UN to lift all sanctions and
restrictions imposed on Iraq," he urged.
Ad Melkert, the UN Special envoy for Iraq, told reporters in answer to
questions by KUNA "we are basically discussing the border issue with everyone,
including the Iraqis. We are trying to come to a conclusion as soon as
possible."
Asked what the Iraqi objection is to allow the UN to send experts to
maintain the border posts, Melkert said "I cannot be specific on that. It has
our attention because it is an important issue."
On what is needed for Iraq to do to exit Chapter VII, Melkert said "we hope
very much that soon after the elections it will be possible to work with the
new Iraqi Government on resolving all issues that eventually would enable
that, that includes the relation with Kuwait."
He said he held talks with Kuwaiti officials in Kuwait last month and "I
intend to continue those conversations to bring the parties together as
quickly as possible." (end)
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