Iraqi Parliamentary Gathering formed to follow up Kuwait’s Mubarak Port

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: A group of Iraqi Parliament Members have formed a new gathering, carrying the name (May 17), to follow up the issue of Kuwait’s Mubarak Port on the Arab gulf, the gathering’s member, Aliya Nusaif said on Wednesday.   “The gathering, comprising more than 15 Parliament members, does not represent a certain political party,” Nusaif said, adding that “the goal of the gathering is to protect Iraq ’s borders, especially the discussion the issue of Kuwait ’s Mubarak Port. ”   On her part, the Legislature of al-Ahrar (Liberals) bloc, Haifa’a al-Atwani, told IraqiNews.com that the “May 17” gathering had been formed to protect the Iraqi identity and defend Iraq ’s borders, as well as the discussion of the developments regarding to the Kuwaiti Mubarak Port.   “The founders of the gathering have reiterated the significance of the relations between Iraq and Kuwait and necessity to settle the border problems between both countries, through diplomatic dialogue,” Atwani said. Parliament member, Izzat al-Shabandar, had called on Iraq’s Prime Minister,   Nouri al-Maliki, to sack the official spokesman of the Iraqi government, Ali al-Dabbagh from his post, for his recent statement to the Kuwaiti al-Siyasa Newspaper, in which he said “that there was no Iraqi opposition for the construction of the Grand Mubarak Port by Kuwait.”   But Dabbagh had said that his statement had been distorted by the newspaper, saying that the Iraqi government would send a Foreign Ministry and Transport Ministry delegation, through cooperation with the United Nations, in order to inspect the details of the construction of the said port.   The Legislature Rafi’a Abdul-Jabbar had called on the Iraqi government to form a committee to follow up the issue of Mubarak Port , saying that “the port would affect the Iraqi Port and change it into a small area, where ships can’t enter in.”   Kuwait had announced on April 16 th last the beginning of construction of Mubarak Port , after one year of Iraq ’s announcement of its intention to build its Grand Fao Port.   Iraq’s Transport Ministry had laid the foundation stone for the Grand Fao Port, designs of which point out to contain a 39-km pavement, to receive gigantic ships, with a total cost of 4.4 billion (b) Euros.   SKH (FT)   690