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19:13 GMT
BAGHDAD, Nov 23 (KUNA) -- Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki said Tuesday Iraq was "ready" to solve all outstanding issues with the State of Kuwait, particularly the "missing Kuwaitis." Al-Maliki, in a meeting with Ad Melkert, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative for Iraq, and UN Secretary General's High-Level Coordinator Gennady Tarasov, said "Iraq is ready to solve this issue," a statement by his office said.
"Iraq is ready to solve all thorny issues with Kuwait specifically the issue of missing Kuwaitis," the statement quoted Al-Maliki as telling the UN officials.
"Iraq is ready to do whatever it is asked to do in this field and to investigate any information that can lead to finding remains of missings. We consider the search operation about the missings as humanitarian and religious duty besides it being a commitment with the sisterly State of Kuwait," he added.
Iraq is committed to addressing all outstanding files with Kuwait and to overcome impacts of the invasion of Kuwait that was carried out by the defunct regime "as soon as possible," he said.
Al-Maliki called on the UN and Security Council to play more active role to ironing out sticky issues with Kuwait.
Tarasov, meanwhile, praised the Iraqi government's efforts to overcoming impacts of the 1990 invasion, noted the statement.
Tarasov had met with Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari yesterday. The Iraqi top diplomat also said his government was ready to fully cooperate with the UN to "close the file" of Kuwaiti missing persons and Kuwaiti properties.
"The Iraqi Government has a serious desire to closing this file," said Zebari who asserted that his government "is ready to cooperate and assist the Coordinator to achieve the objectives of his mission." UN Security Council resolution 1284 of 1999 compel Iraq to faciliate repatriation of all Kuwaiti and third-country nationals or their remains and the return of all Kuwaiti property, including national archives following the August 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, in line with UN resolution 687 of 1991. (end) mhg.bs KUNA 232213 Nov 10NNNN