GCC Criticizes Iraq Ruling on Khor Abdullah

The GCC has called on Iraq to address what it says are the, "negative effects of developments over the Khor Abdullah maritime agreement." Their statement follows a declaration from the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court that the law approving the agreement between the Iraq and Kuwait on the regulation of maritime navigation in the Khor Abdullah [Khawr Abd Allah] to be unconstitutional.

Full statement from GCC:

18 September 2023

The Foreign Ministers of the GCC countries, have called on the Republic of Iraq, to take serious and urgent steps to address the negative effects of developments over the Khor Abdullah maritime agreement.

The Ministers made the call in a statement following a meeting held on Sunday, at the headquarters of the Permanent Delegation of the Sultanate of Oman to the United Nations in New York. The meeting discussed a ruling of the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court issued on Monday and published on Thursday.

The statement says the ruling is based on inaccurate, out of context, historical reasoning regarding the agreement concluded in 2012 between the State of Kuwait and the Republic of Iraq about the regulation of maritime navigation in Khor Abdullah.

The statement says the agreement was ratified by Iraq in 2013 and was deposited with the United Nations.

The Ministerial Council said that these developments do not serve relations with the GCC countries, and violate international charters, treaties and agreements, including UN Security Council Resolution 833.

This is an unofficial English version of an Arabic report. To view the official Arabic text, click here.