KUWAIT CITY, March 15, (KUNA): A senior Kuwaiti official hailed Wednesday evening the talks between Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki and Kuwaiti leaders as being “excellent and in the interest of both brotherly nations’ governments and peoples”.

Speaking to reporters following a dinner banquet held in honor of the Iraqi guests, Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry Khalid Al-Jarallah said the outcomes of talks would come to light in the next few days, and would be in the common interest of both countries.

During talks, both sides agreed to take practical steps in order to put an end to outstanding dossiers, chiefly Iraq’s debts to Kuwait Airways, joint oil fields and borders, he said.

He added that Kuwait and Iraq look forward to a “bright” future of bilateral relations through the next meeting of the joint ministerial committee.

On Kuwait’s Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port project, Al-Jarallah said the project is smoothly going on as scheduled.
On the coming Arab summit in Baghdad, he confirmed that his country would be partaking in the Arab gathering.

Al-Maliki hailed as “step towards settling all sticking points” the agreement reached Wednesday evening with the State of Kuwait here to cancel all lawsuits and verdicts against the Iraqi Airways, the flag carrier of Iraq.
“It’s a step in the right direction. We have reached agreement on settling the debts of Iraqi Airways to Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC),” Al-Maliki who attended the signing ceremony of the deal, told reporters.
“A package of important agreements was also reached, foremost amongst which is the one to launch a joint higher commission and a technical committee for solving all sticking points,” he revealed.

“The two committee will start working on the all files soon,” he said, noting that the two countries share the desire to iron out all problems left over by the past.

Al-Maliki hailed as very fruitful his talks with His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, the National Assembly Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun and other senior officials.

He has left here tonight for home after a successful one day official visit to Kuwait.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari lauded here Wednesday talks held in Kuwait today between Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki and His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah as “very successful”.

Speaking to reporters following a dinner banquet held in honor of the Iraqi guests, Zebari said the talks were held in a “very good atmosphere”, and contributed to reinforcing bilateral relations.

He added that Iraqi-Kuwaiti relations would see a “very positive development” in the coming period.
During the talks, both sides arrived at a settlement on Iraq’s debts to Kuwait Airways, he said. “Regarding other matters, Iraq has commitments to fulfill in line with international resolutions.”

Zebari affirmed that his country would begin fulfilling such commitments, especially the maintenance of border marks between both sides and relevant technical matters.

Asked if the issue of Kuwait’s Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port project was on the agenda of the talks, Zebari said: “During the talks, all issues, including the freedom of navigation in Khor Abdullah, were considered.” Khor Abdullah is a narrow waterway that separates Iraqi and Kuwaiti shores off Bubiyan Island where the mega port is being built, and leads to Iraq’s Umm Qasr port and other smaller ports.

He added that both sides had agreed to holding a meeting of the joint ministerial committee, to be led by both countries’ foreign ministers, following the coming Arab summit due in Baghdad in late March.