Thursday, May 28, 2015
Manama: Kuwait has played down the significance of a scuffle between the guards of Iraq’s foreign minister and Kuwait security officers at Kuwait’s airport.
“The dispute between the Kuwaiti and Iraqi protection teams assigned to protect the Iraqi foreign minister and which occurred at Kuwait International Airport has been contained within the spirit of brotherhood, the keenness of both sides on bilateral relations and their determination not to let such matters prejudice the special ties between the two countries and peoples,” Kuwait’s Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Khalid Sulaiman Al Jarallah said.
Kuwaiti media reported that the scuffle broke out at the VIP lounge at the airport as Al Jaafari arrived in the northern Arabian Gulf state for the 42nd meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
The scuffle that reportedly continued in the second VIP lounge prompted the local special security team to refuse the entry of six members of the Iraqi protection team into Kuwait for attacking Kuwaiti guards.
Following negotiations that included Iraq’s Foreign Minister Ebrahim Al Jaafari, the two sides agreed to allow the guards to enter the country on the conditions they stay inside the Iraqi embassy in Kuwait City and they do not accompany the Iraqi minister to the conference hall.
Under the deal, the members will leave Kuwait alongside the minister at the end of the conference, reports said.
Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Shaikh Sabah Khalid Al Sabah and Al Jaafari held a meeting on Wednesday evening and reviewed bilateral relations and cooperation, Kuwait News Agency (Kuna) reported.
Both countries said they were pleased with the progress of their coordination in reinforcing official and popular ties, the news agency said.
By Habib Toumi Bureau Chief
Gulf News 2015. All rights reserved.
