Shafaq News- Basra
The Popular Movement Against the Khor Abdullah Agreement urged the Iraqi government on Sunday to place the disputed waterway on the agenda of a newly formed Iraq-Kuwait committee tasked with reviewing outstanding bilateral issues and submitting a roadmap and recommendations within 30 days.
In a statement, the group welcomed efforts by Baghdad and Kuwait to resolve pending files through dialogue and legal channels but insisted that Khor Abdullah be addressed as a priority under Iraq’s Constitution, domestic legislation, and relevant international maritime rules, calling for the formation of independent technical and legal panels bringing together specialists in international law, maritime boundaries, hydrography, and navigation, alongside representatives of Iraqi institutions responsible for preparing the country’s nautical charts.
The movement also asked Baghdad to formally convey its position on navigation in Khor Abdullah to Kuwait, citing a Sept. 4, 2023 Federal Supreme Court ruling that found Law No. 42 of 2013, which ratified the bilateral navigation accord, unconstitutional because of the procedure followed for its approval. It proposed broadening the joint review to cover other unresolved land and sea boundary matters, associated rights, and oil fields.
Read more: Khor Abdullah: A waterway entangled in disputes and invasion
Iraq and Kuwait established the working group on Saturday following talks between Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi and Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
About the Khor Abdullah Agreement
Signed by Iraq and Kuwait in 2012, the agreement regulates navigation and security in the shared waterway, Iraq’s only maritime access to the Gulf and a route linking major ports, including Umm Qasr and Grand Al-Faw, with international shipping lanes. Based on United Nations Security Council Resolution 833 (1993), which defined post-Gulf War borders, the deal remains controversial in Iraq, particularly after the Federal Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that its ratification was unconstitutional, reigniting debate over sovereignty, economic interests, and maritime rights.
Read more: Iraq’s UN maritime move reopens Arab fault lines over Khor Abdullah