Kuwait, Iraq sign deals on investment, tourism

Kuwait and Iraq inked two agreements on the promotion and protection of mutual investments, and tourism cooperation as well as the minutes of the meeting of a joint panel on regulation of navigation at "Khor Abdullah Waterway." The documents were signed at the conclusion of the third session of the joint higher committee on Monday. The session was co-chaired by Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. The meeting has built on the positive results of the joint efforts being made to further cement the bilateral ties on the state-to-state and people-to-people levels, Sheikh Sabah said. "Guided by the instructions of the political leaders, the bilateral ties are growing steadily to meet the aspirations of both peoples," he pointed out. "The shared desire of the leaderships of both countries to strengthen the bilateral ties resulted in the adoption, late last June, of the UN Security Council Resolution 2107 on Iraq's exit from the sanctions under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. "The resolution represents a crucial juncture in the efforts to enable Iraq resume its roles regionally and internationally," he recalled. Another achievement was the resumption of flights by the flag carrier of Iraq to Kuwait on February 28, 2013, he went on. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled noted that he and Zebari had the honor of meeting His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. HH the Amir reaffirmed resolve on doing whatever needed to strengthen the Kuwaiti-Iraqi relationship, Sheikh Sabah said. On the just-ended session, he said they discussed several issues and topics of mutual interest and ways and means of promoting and developing Kuwaiti-Iraqi cooperative relations in various domains, as well as the latest regional and international developments. The events in the Arab region in the last two years necessitate closer cooperation by the Arab countries to stabilize the region, he said. Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled condemned the acts of violence in Iraq which target innocent lives and destabilize the country, expressing condolences to the families of victims. He commended the historic visits to Iraq by HH the Amir in March, 2012, and by HH the Prime Minister in last June. On his part, Zebari said the third session of the joint higher committee represented "culmination of purposeful and professional work" to settle all lingering issues. "The session reviewed, inter alia, the security cooperation and the political coordination, as well as cooperation in investment, tourism, energy, taxation and maritime navigation," Zebari revealed, noting that Baghdad will be hosting the fourth session next year. "We were able to address the most challenging and thorny issues in the bilateral ties that were governed by UN Security Council resolutions," he pointed out. Asked on warning by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki against attempts "to alienate Iraq from its Arab and international spheres," Zebari said: "Such attempts were in the past and all to no avail. "Iraq made a strong comeback to the Arab sphere by hosting the last Arab summit in late March, 2012," he said, affirming that his country maintains close ties with almost all Arab countries. Zebari hailed the recent deal between Iraq and the P5+1 on Iran's nuclear program as "a great achievement that serves the interests of all countries of the region." On the investment atmosphere in Iraq, he said his government adopted a new investment law that protects the rights of foreign investors and encouraged growing numbers of major investors to do business in the energy and construction sectors. Zebari called on Kuwait, and other GCC, investors to tap into the ample opportunities in Iraq under the government tendency to transform from the central market into the free one and cut the red tape. On the violent acts, he said: "Iraq is not a battle field as some people imagine; there are many areas which are safe for both investors and workers." Zebari renewed condemnation of the recent cross-border attack by terrorists in Iraq into the Saudi territories, noting that the two countries work together to catch the perpetrators. He added that he discussed the matter with Saudi Deputy Minister of Defense Prince Salman Bin Sultan