Kuwait “astonished” with Iraqi demand to cease Mobarak Terminal

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Kuwaiti government affirmed its continuation in the implementation of Mobarak terminal and any statement will “not terrorize” it, pointing out its “astonishment of Iraqi demand to stop the work in the terminal.”  Kuwaiti News Agency reported the government speaker and minister of state of cabinet affairs Ali Al-Rashid that Kuwait will continue its operations in the terminal, and affirmed that Kuwait “will not accept any breach to its sovereignty.”   “What is going on in Mohaarak terminal is within Kuwaiti sovereignty and will not accept any interference in this matter, because the site of the terminal does not obstruct Iraqi maritime routes.”  Iraqi government speaker Ali Al-Dabbagh demanded Wednesday that the Kuwaiti side should stop the work in the terminal till checking that Iraqi interests will not be affected in order to keep the friendly relations between the two countries.  Dabbagh statement , copy received by IraqiNews.com, said that “the Iraqi government expresses its grave concern for building Mobarak terminal, due to the lack of information and according to international law and US Security Council’s resolutions.   He added that the Iraqi government demands Kuwait to stop the work in the terminal till to be sure that Iraqi maritime rights are not affected.  Commenting on this demand, the Kuwaiti government expressed its “astonishment,” stating that it does not stand on legal or logical connotation, because the port is built on Kuwaiti soil.   The news agency reported the Iraqi delegation sent to Kuwait last May, and Kuwaiti government’s readiness to receive another technical delegation to be informed on the technical aspects that guarantees the flow and safety of maritime movement in Khor Abdullah.  Last April, Kuwait announced the start of work in the terminal, after one year of Iraqi declaration to build the Greater Fao Port.  Fao Port designs contained a pier for containers with the length of 39 km, and another one with 2000 meters length, in addition to an open space of more than one million square meters.  The total cost of Fao Port is expected to reach 4.4 billion Euros, which shall be connected with a railway line to Turkey and north Europe. RM (TR)/SR 500