TOP IRAQI OFFICIALS REAFFIRM CLOSE IRAQ-KUWAIT

UNCLAS KUWAIT 004333 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARPI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PBTS IZ KU KUWAIT IRAQ RELATIONS SUBJECT: TOP IRAQI OFFICIALS REAFFIRM CLOSE IRAQ-KUWAIT RELATIONS; STRESS BORDER ISSUE SETTLED BY UN REF: A. KUWAIT 3949 ¶B. KUWAIT 3851 (AND PREVIOUS) ¶1. (U) On arriving in Kuwait October 1 for a four-day visit, Iraq's Speaker of Parliament Hajem Al-Hasani reaffirmed Iraq's close relationship with Kuwait and stressed that "the period of tension" between the two countries was over. Al-Hasani's trip was the first visit of an Iraqi Speaker of Parliament to Kuwait in more than 20 years. Al-Hasani also highlighted Kuwait's role in supporting the Iraqi political process and thanked the Kuwaiti people for their "big help" in providing aid to Iraq. Downplaying recent disturbances along the Kuwait-Iraq border, Al-Hasani claimed the problems were caused by "parties who aimed to harm the distinguished bilateral relations between the neighboring states," Kuwait News Agency reported (KUNA). Al-Hasani met with Prime Minister Shaykh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Shaykh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, National Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi, and other government officials. ¶2. (U) Al-Khorafi conveyed Kuwaiti concerns that sectarianism in Iraq could spill over into Kuwait in an October 4 meeting with Al-Hasani, local media reported. Al-Khorafi accepted Al-Hasani's invitation to visit Baghdad, though he qualified his acceptance, saying he would visit when the "situation in Iraq calmed down." ¶3. (U) In an October 2 interview with KUNA, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Iraq "has begun taking steps" to appoint an Ambassador to Kuwait and has already provided the GOK with a list of embassy personnel. Zebari also reiterated Iraq's respect for the Kuwait-Iraq border as demarcated by United Nations Security Council Resolution 833 in 1993, and confirmed reports that the two governments have agreed to establish a joint committee to oversee border issues (ref. A and B). Zebari concluded the interview by urging Arab states to take a more active role in stabilizing Iraq, warning that violence in Iraq could spill over into neighboring countries if "decisive action is not taken." ********************************************* Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website ********************************************* LEBARON