Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia reiterated their backing for Kuwait’s sovereignty over its maritime territories following Iraq’s submission of new maritime coordinates and an updated map to the United Nations.
"The State of Qatar announces its full solidarity with the sisterly State of Kuwait, affirming that it is following the coordinates lists and map submitted by the sisterly Republic of Iraq to the United Nations, which infringe upon the sovereignty of the State of Kuwait over its maritime areas and its fixed and stable maritime elevations in relation to the Republic of Iraq, such as Fasht Al-Qaid and Fasht Al-Aij," Qatar’s foreign ministry said in a statement Monday on X.
Bahrain, too, expressed its support and as per a statement by the Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared by the Qatar News Agency, it said it is “closely monitoring” the coordinates lists and map submitted by Iraq, saying it infringed upon the State of Kuwait's sovereignty over its maritime areas and fixed, stable maritime elevations.
In the statement, Bahrain urged Iraq to take into consideration the course of the historical relations between Kuwait and Iraq, and to act seriously and responsibly in accordance with the rules and principles of international law.
In a similar vein, the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed its full support for Kuwait’s legitimate rights and voiced concern over Iraq’s submission, calling for the matter to be handled in line with international law and established agreements.
"The Ministry called for this matter to be addressed with a spirit of responsibility and seriousness, in accordance with the principles of international law and the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 (UNCLOS), as well as in line with existing bilateral understandings, agreements and memoranda of understanding," the statement said.
The UAE also stressed that Iraq should take into account the “fraternal and historic ties that bind the two countries and their peoples.”
At the same time, Saudi Arabia said it was “closely monitoring” the situation, noting that the list submitted by Iraq included areas adjacent to the Saudi-Kuwaiti divided zone, where the two countries share natural resources, The National reported.
“Moreover, these co-ordinates violate the sovereignty of the fraternal State of Kuwait over its maritime areas and its water elevations,” Riyadh said.
Kuwait summoned Iraq’s chargé d’affaires on Saturday to protest Baghdad’s submission of maritime coordinates and a map to the UN, calling it a violation of its sovereignty.
The foreign ministry said the filing included claims over maritime areas and fixed features, including Fasht Al-Qaid and Fasht Al-Aij, which it stressed are not subject to dispute and fall under Kuwait’s full sovereignty.
