IBN: And in the meantime, while the design is being worked on, the Kuwaitis are building this other port. Do you think there is enough business for two very large ports in such a small area, and serving basically the same geographical area?
AD: Well our interests is that definitely we will not use the Kuwaiti port when we have our own one, definitely we will have the full right to take all the arrangement not to use the other port and to give priority to our port. I think Iraq is going to have a very huge demand for the port, and as I said it is not just serving Iraq.
I would like to advise the Kuwaitis that unless there is an arrangement in the common interest, the way they are going on right now is not wise, and I don't think it will serve them. They do need to be friendly, with Iraq especially, in order to achieve their goals. It is being built as I said for Iraq and it is serving only Iraq, there is no other way to serve Iran or other Gulf states, so they do need to work out with Iraq certain formula in order to satisfy Iraq that there is no harmful effect on the interest of the Iraqis, and they do need to work out how to serve both interests.
IBN: So you don't see the Kuwaiti port as competing with Iraq's plan to use the Iraqi port to serve Europe and the hinterland?
AD: Trading-wise, definitely, we will not allow our port to be kept idle. We will use all steps and legislation and regulation needed to give the priority to our own port rather than allowing the others. Competition-wise, we have the full interest not to allow the others to compete.
IBN: So you could, for example, stop products coming through Iraq …
AD: We don't need to use theirs, that is critical, we would like to avoid it but if Kuwaitis want to continue ignoring the interests of Iraq I think we have to have the full right to take also precautions to protect our interests.
In the second part of this interview, Dr al-Dabbagh discusses the new hydrocarbon law, the valuation of the Iraqi dinar, and the prospects for development in the country.
[...] southern port city of Basra, according to a report from AFP.The agency quotes government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh as saying that the company has to complete the project within two years of the final contract being [...]