Kuwait Times, Monday, Feb 20, 2023 | Rajab 29, 1444
Demarcation of maritime borders with Iraq urged
Kuwait:
MP Khaled Al-Otaibi called on Sunday for
demarcating maritime borders with Iraq to serve the national interests of the
country, as the foreign minister is scheduled to hold technical and legal talks
with an Iraqi delegation. Otaibi said in a statement the demarcation will
strengthen Kuwait’s sovereignty, safeguard territorial waters and start the
long-delayed development of the northern parts of the country.
Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah was scheduled to start
technical and legal talks with Iraq on Sunday in a bid to resolve a host of
outstanding issues, including the demarcation of the maritime borders. Otaibi
expressed hope the two neighboring countries succeed in resolving all
outstanding issues to pave the way for cooperation between them and exploit
investment opportunities. He added that reaching final solutions to the issues
between Iraq and Kuwait will help, among other issues, stop illegal incursions
of Iraqi military boats into Kuwait’s territorial waters.
Meanwhile, MP Abdullah Al-Mudhaf said on Sunday he and other lawmakers are
planning to submit an amendment to the Assembly’s internal charter to clearly
state that Assembly sessions can be held without the need of the presence of
ministers. Since its inception in 1962, the Assembly has adjourned all sessions
when there was no minister in the chamber. The practice was at times based on a
controversial article in the constitution, which stipulates that the
representation of the government in Assembly sessions is mandatory.
But Mudhaf claims this article had been wrongly interpreted to make the presence
of at least one minister essential for Assembly sessions to be legal. He
insisted the correct meaning of the article is that the government must attend
Assembly sessions and cannot shun them. The current Cabinet has stopped
attending Assembly sessions since Jan 10 over allegations the Assembly is
pressing with populist laws that are costly to state coffers.
The government also resigned about a month ago and no one has been asked to form
a new Cabinet, which MPs say has obstructed the work of the Assembly and the
interests of the people. Mudhaf said the amendment will clearly state that
Assembly sessions are legal even if the government does not attend them.