HR minister discusses Kuwait & Iran dossiers with ICRC Vice-Chairman

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraq’s Human Rights Minister, Mohammed Shi’a al-Soudany, in Baghdad on Wednesday conferred the Iraqi dossiers with Kuwait and Iran with the Vice-Chairman of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and a number of its representatives in Iraq, a Ministry statement reported. “The Iraqi Human Rights Minister conferred in Baghdad on Wednesday with the Vice-Chairman of the ICRC Adrian Zimmerman and a number of its representatives in Iraq, on several Human Rights issues, particularly the Iraqi-Iranian and the Iraqi-Kuwait dossiers, the statement stressed. “All parties are striving to implement their commitments according to the decisions made in the meetings held in Geneva and Tehran, as well as the continuous meetings between the ICRC and both Kuwait and Iran,” the statement quoted Zimmerman as saying.   “The Committee is continuing its meetings,” he said. “The Iraqi Human Rights Ministry has a heavy dossier of commitments, including one related to the Fao Peninsula, considered one of the most important issues that requires resolution, which helped push the ICRC to demand a meeting with the Minister,” Zimmerman noted. When asked by the ICRC if it was necessary to follow up on both missions, Sudany said, “The five-member committee’s mission takes a long time and a huge effort. Due to thsi, it is preferable that we work on the Fao issue in the second half of June.” Commenting on the process of crossing the borders, which now requires thumb prints and an eye scan, the ICRC raised the question of whether Iraq could provie facilities in this regard. Minister Sudany responded, saying that “this issue is outside of the responsibilities of the Human Rights Ministry. The related circles are the Ministries of Interior, Foreign Affairs and the Military Intelligence Body.” The Minister promised to exert every possible effort to contact the Ministries in charge, in order to facilitate the entrance of an Iranian delegation into Iraq, the statement stressed. In conclusion, the Minister said, “Iraq is a sovereign state. Every individual that crosses the borders of this state must respect its sovereignty, laws and regulations.” SKH (TR)/SR 382