RIYADH: GCC foreign ministers called upon Iraq to complete demarcation of maritime borders with Kuwait beyond Mark 162, in the final statement of the 157th GCC ministerial session held at the GCC headquarters in Riyadh on Thursday. During the meeting, the ministers touched on joint action issues and regional and international affairs.
The statement emphasized that Iraq must abide by sovereignty of Kuwait, abstain from breaching relevant international treaties and resolutions, namely Resolution 833 regarding the demarcation of the borders between the two countries, the treaty for regulating sea navigation at Khor Abdullah, worked out between the two countries and deposited at the UN. The ministers emphatically rejected any breach of Kuwait’s sovereignty, affirming that it reserves the right to retaliate according to legal channels.
GCC foreign ministers also affirmed on Thursday that the natural resources in the submerged zone adjacent to the Saudi-Kuwait divided zone including the entire Durra field are solely “a joint property of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Kuwait”. The statement affirmed the GCC states’ emphatic rejection of allegations about any other party’s rights except for those that belong to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, either in Durra field or the submerged region adjacent to the divided zone.
Meanwhile, the Joint Khafji Joint Operations declared on Thursday resumption of crude oil production in the divided zone between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The operations’ administration said on its official account on X that the resumption of output began on Tuesday as part of the first phase after completing maintenance of onshore production facilities. The resumption of production came following strenuous efforts by the operations teams. The joint operations include Kuwaiti Gulf Oil Company and Aramco for Gulf Operations. – KUNA