Iraq, Kuwait discuss cooperation on shared border oil fields

BAGHDAD — Iraq and Kuwait held talks in Baghdad on Thursday to expand cooperation over developing joint border oil fields, the Iraqi Oil Ministry said.

Oil Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs Hayan Abdul Ghani al-Sawad met with a Kuwaiti delegation led by Oil Ministry Undersecretary Khaled Waleed Al-Din. The group also included Assistant Deputy Foreign Minister Adel Mohammed Al-Zoubi and representatives from the Kuwait Oil Company and Foreign Ministry.

The ministry said discussions centered on investment and development of shared fields. Abdul Ghani said Iraq “has made great progress in understanding to invest in the fields,” calling their development a right for both countries, and highlighted Iraq’s aim to expand gas use for power generation.

Senior Iraqi officials, including the undersecretary for extraction and directors from Basra Oil Company, also attended. The talks were described by the Kuwaiti side as positive, with Al-Din saying they supported cooperation and “had a positive effect in the field of mutual understanding, which serves the interests of both countries regarding the development of joint fields.”

The ministry said committee-level discussions were chaired on the Iraqi side by Undersecretary for Extraction Bassem Mohammed Khudair.