During the meeting with Hassan Mohammed Zaman, Barzani “highlighted the importance of addressing issues between Iraq and Kuwait through mutual understanding, good neighborly relations, and shared interests that serve both sides and contribute to regional peace and stability,” the Kurdistan Region Presidency said in a statement.
Chief among the disputes is the Khor Abdullah agreement. Signed between Iraq and Kuwait in 2012, it regulates navigation rights in a narrow waterway shared between both countries that is Iraq’s only direct maritime access to the Persian Gulf. Al-Faw port, the southern end of Iraq’s ambitious Development Road project, sits at the head of Khor Abdullah.
The agreement delineates the maritime boundary that was not covered by the United Nations when it defined the land border in 1993 after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. It has always been a sore point for some politicians who say it infringes on Iraq’s sovereignty.
Zaman told President Barzani in the meeting that Kuwait is “committed to resolving outstanding matters through dialogue” and that his country wants to “strengthen relations with Iraq in all fields.”
“He also emphasized Kuwait’s appreciation for its friendship and historic ties with the Kurdistan Region,” according to the statement.
In September 2023, Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court ruled that the Khor Abdullah agreement was unconstitutional, arguing that parliament ratified it with a simple majority rather than the required two-thirds majority.
The decision was welcomed by some political factions within Iraq, but drew strong condemnation from Kuwait, which called on Baghdad to take urgent and decisive steps to correct what it described as historical inaccuracies in the court ruling.
Last month, Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council chief Faiq Zidan confirmed the legality of the 2012 agreement. He said that the court’s 2023 reversal had no constitutional basis and could invalidate over 400 treaties, exposing Iraq to international legal risks. He said the court had overstepped its authority.
In late 2021, Iraq completed its payment of war reparations worth $52.4 billion to Kuwait.
