Al-Hashemi calls for patching up differences with Kuwait

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi on Tuesday called for patch ing up differences with Kuwait for the good of the two people, according to a statement of his office. “The vice president discussed the Iraqi-Kuwaiti relations file and what the mass media raised on getting Iraq out of the Chapter 7 of the UN charter during two separate meetings at his office with Kuwaiti Ambassador in Baghdad, Ali al-Mouamen and the director of the Arab department at the Foreign Ministry, Asaad al-Saudi,” said the statement received by IraqiNews.com news agency. Kuwaiti lawmakers on Tuesday urged the government to recall the ambassador from Baghdad in protest of “attacks” by Iraqi MPs and demands to halt the payment of reparations. Kuwait insists that if Iraq wants to exit from UN sanctions, it must fully comply with obligations like payments of war reparations, settling its debt and the demarcation of land and maritime borders. It also wants the return of Kuwaiti property stolen during the occupation and also remains of Kuwaiti POWs believed to have been killed under Saddam. Five percent of Iraqi oil revenues are transferred into a special UN fund for compensation. Kuwait has received about 13 billion dollars from Iraq but another 25.5 billion dollars remains unpaid. Iraqi MPs on Monday urged a halt to reparation payments to Kuwait for Saddam Hussein’s 1990 invasion, with some wanting the emirate to compensate Iraq for its role in the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. SH (S)/SR 1