UNITED NATIONS, Dec 17 (Saba) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday urged Iraq to translate its statements of goodwill regarding the files of missing Kuwaiti and third country nationals and return of property into "tangible outcomes," and suggested that Iraq set up an inter-ministerial committee to lead and coordinate efforts in search for the missing Kuwaiti archives and other properties, according to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).

In a report to the Security Council circulated today, Ban said, "I call on Iraq to continue to work with Kuwait in the spirit of confidence and cooperation-building process, and to translate statements of good will into tangible outcomes, leading to visible and significant progress" regarding those two files.

"It would be useful for the Government of Iraq to set up an official body as soon as possible to lead and coordinate efforts in clarifying the fate of the Kuwaiti archives and other properties. This could prove to be another practical step, which will demonstrate the determination of Iraq to build confidence and trust with Kuwait," he added.
Expressing hope that the formation of a new Iraqi Government will present an opportunity for taking cooperation between Iraq and Kuwait "further ahead," Ban welcomed the excavation underway in Ramada for the remains of the missing Kuwaitis, and said the planned exploratory mission in Nasseriya "will be one such practical step, which should be followed by broader result-oriented measures".
He mentioned that an announcement published in the official Iraqi newspaper Al-Sabah seeking information on Kuwaiti documents or property elicited a response from Iraq's Ministry of Industry and Mines which claimed it had in its possession some equipment belonging to Kuwait.

Welcoming the assurances top Iraqi officials gave him of Iraq's "commitment to the early and full implementation of all of Iraqi obligations toward Kuwait under the relevant Chapter VII Security Council resolutions," Ban said "I look forward to the resolution of all outstanding issues as soon as possible between Iraq and Kuwait which have persisted for nearly 20 years".

Ban recommended that the Security Council, scheduled to discuss his report Friday, extend the financing of the UN high-level Coordinator for missing Kuwaitis and property Gennady Tarasov's mandate until June 2011 "in order to build upon the current momentum towards closure of both files.

Annexed to the report was a letter to Ban by Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari who listed the key measures taken by Iraq during 2009-2010 to strengthen prospects of finding the missing Kuwaitis.

Zebari suggested in his letter the "presence of a permanent Kuwaiti technical team in Iraq," and that "in the interest of further joint cooperation and of speeding up completion of the requirements for closing this file and ending the suffering of the families of the missing victims." He noted that a Ministerial Committee, comprising officials from the Ministries of Human Rights, Defense, the Interior and National Security, was established to follow up and analyze all information received on missing Kuwaiti nationals, adding that its members even visited Kadhimiyah prison in order to interview a number of former security officers being held there. No useful information transpired.

The identities of only 236 Kuwaiti nationals, out of a total of 605, were successfully uncovered so far.

Iraq is aware that it cannot get out from under Chapter VII of the UN Charter unless these files are resolved.

Saba