CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VOLUME VII (1, 2) Contemporary-Eurasia-3new | Page 108

CONTEMPORARY EURASIA
$30 billion during the Kuwait International Conference for the Recon-
struction of Iraq. 28
The process of the normalization, however, does not seem smooth. In
August 2016 Iraq asked Saudi Arabia to replace its ambassador in Bagh-
dad Thamer al-Sabhan after his remarks about Iranian-backed “Shia para-
military units. The ambassador accused them of aggravating tensions
with Sunni Muslims. The presence of Sabhan is an obstacle to the devel-
opment of relations between Iraq and Saudi Arabia”, – responded Ahmed
Jamal, Iraq’s foreign ministry spokesman. 29
A major obstacle on the way of improving relations between the
Gulf Arab states and Iraq is the issue of Kuwait. Kuwait faced territori-
al claims from Iraq since declaring its independence in 1961. The rela-
tions of two countries were relatively stable until the invasion of 1990.
After the liberation of country from Iraqi troops Kuwait strengthened ties
with the US as Saddam Hussein was still in power. In 2003 Kuwait host-
ed the majority of the coalition forces which invaded Iraq in March of
that year. 30 Kuwait appointed its ambassador to Iraq in 2008 and received
the ambassador of Iraq in 2010. The period from 2010 to 2013 was fruit-
ful in repairing bilateral relations. In 2012 a Kuwaiti delegation visited
Baghdad and the government of Iraq issued a statement emphasizing the
necessity of Iraq joining the GCC. 31
Over the last years the government of Haidar Al-Abadi seems to make
steps towards the reconciliation of two countries. In summer of 2017
Al-Abadi visited Kuwait. Before the visit he stressed that his country’s
relations with Kuwait have been developed signifi cantly. He also said that
would discucss the compensation of the Iraqi invasion in 1990. 32
Qatar like Kuwait had signifi cant participation in Operation Iraqi
Freedom of 2003. The country provided its territory and logistical sup-
port to US Air Force. After the fall of Saddam’s regime Doha pledged fi -
nancial assistance for reconstruction of the country. Qatar also provided a
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31
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Maher Chmaytelli, Ahmed Hagagy, Allies promise Iraq $30 billion, falling short of Bagh-
dad’s appeal, Reuters, February 14, 2018, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-cri-
sis-iraq-reconstruction-ku/allies-promise-iraq-30-billion-falling-short-of-baghdads-appeal-
idUSKCN1FY0TX (accessed August 3, 2018).
“Iraq asks Saudi Arabia to replace ambassador,” Al Jazeera, August 29, 2016, https://www.
aljazeera.com/news/2016/08/iraq-asks-saudi-arabia-replace-ambassador-160829041208479.
html (accessed August 1, 2018).
Kenneth Katzman, “Kuwait: Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy,”. Congressional Re-
search Service, (February 19, 2016): 16.
“Kuwait stresses necessity for Iraq to join GCC,” Alsumaria News, April 27, 2012, http://
www.alsumaria.tv/news/55919/kuwait-stresses-necessity-for-iraq-to-join-gcc/en# (accessed
August 25, 2018).
“Iraq seeks developing relations with Kuwait,” Middle East Monitor, June 19, 2017, https://
www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170619-iraq-seeks-developing-relations-with-kuwait/ (ac-
cessed June 1,2018).
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