Kuwait, Iraq discuss prospects of cooperation in post-IS era

Kuwait (Iraqinews.com) – Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah held on Wednesday a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi, currently on a visit to Kuwait.

In a statement, a copy of which was obtained by Baghdad Today news website, Abadi’s media office said the meeting tackled “ways of boosting bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, investment and energy” in the post-Islamic State era.

According to the statement, the two sides stressed the importance of continuing coordinating between the two countries’ join committees to reconstruct Iraq and find alternative oil resources.

Earlier in the day, the Kuwaiti emir pledged $1 billion in loans and $1 billion in direct investments to help rebuild Iraq.

He made the pledge during the official inauguration of the Kuwait International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq (KICRI), which kicked off on Monday.

Addressing the gathering, the Kuwaiti emir congratulated the Iraqi people on a recent victory over IS militants and wished them success in their endeavors to rebuild their country in the post-war era.

“The significant level of participation in this conference, at the governmental, civil or private levels, came as a global recognition of the magnitude of sacrifices made by Iraq in its fight against terrorism,” he said, pointing out that the international community sough to reward these sacrifices that turned lives of Iraqis in IS-controlled areas into a “living hell.”

The Kuwait International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq kicked off Monday with the participation of several donor countries and a group of regional and international institutions.

The gathering aims at garnering necessary support for the reconstruction of Iraq following a great victory achieved over Islamic State group.
The three-day conference is co-chaired by the European Union, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Nations and the World Bank.