NIQASH: And how about that other sticking point with the Kuwaitis: the Mubarak al-Kabir Port, which is located near the border between Kuwait and Iraq. The news agency Associated Press recently wrote that Iraqis thought this was Kuwait’s way of “trying to strangle Iraq's shipping channels and scuttle a planned Iraqi port project”.
Al-Amiri: We have already discussed the Mubarak al-Kabir Port with the Kuwaitis and the joint committee will discuss that further after the Arab League Summit [to be held in Baghdad next week].
We believe Kuwait has every right to build a port on its own land and we wouldn’t interfere in such a project. But we firmly believe that building Mubarak al-Kabir Port in the planned location will damage Iraq’s economic interests. We have asked them to relocate the port and then we’d have absolutely no problem with it. This is a port being built by an Arab country and we feel sure it will bring Iraq benefits in the future.
NIQASH: Can you tell us what damage you're talking about?
Al-Amiri: The Mubarak al-Kabir Port won’t have an impact on the Grand al-Faw port but it will certainly impact on the ports of Umm Qasr and Khor al-Zubair.
Many countries have more than one port and in fact, Kuwait has five. If they changed the location for the Mubarak al-Kabir Port, we wouldn’t have any problem with it. And I still believe that the Kuwaitis don’t want to do any [economic] damage to Iraq. If we can convince them that we are going to suffer as a result, then I’m sure they would consider changing the location.
NIQASH: How have the Kuwaitis responded to Iraq’s attempts to resolve these disputes?
Al-Amiri: This is the third visit to Kuwait since I became a Minister and the response from the Kuwaitis has been earnest. The government and the Emir [ruler of Kuwait] are all keen to resolve our problems. And to be honest, we don’t have any other option. If we don’t forget the past, then both of our countries will suffer. So I hope we can resolve things to both nations’ satisfaction.
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