Iraq protests Arab states’ support for Kuwait in maritime dispute
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday reproached Palestine, Jordan, and Egypt over their official positions aligned with Kuwait regarding Baghdad’s deposit of its maritime boundaries map with the United Nations.
The three counties expressed concern over Iraq’s submission to the United Nations, reaffirmed support for Kuwait’s sovereignty, and urged both sides to resolve the maritime dispute through dialogue in line with international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The ministry said in separate statements, that the remarks came during meetings between Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations Ambassador Mohammed Hussein Bahr Al-Uloom and the ambassadors of Palestine, Jordan, and Egypt. Bahr Al-Uloom presented Baghdad’s position concerning the three counties’ statements, which “overlooked Iraq’s viewpoint and the measures it had taken in full accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”
He described Iraq’s move as a sovereign right, adding that the country acted with full transparency and remains committed to addressing related issues through legal and diplomatic channels in a way that safeguards its sovereignty and national rights.
Earlier this month, Baghdad a detailed maritime domain map with the United Nations and prepared to submit a Federal Supreme Court ruling that annulled the demarcation with Kuwait up to marker 162, a step that calls for re-demarcation under international law. Meanwhile, Gulf states, including the GCC, have urged Iraq to withdraw the submission and address the issue through diplomatic channels.
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