Iraq to close border point with Kuwait

Iraq may close its main border point with Kuwait to put pressure on its neighboring country to change the location of its controversial huge port on the joint navigation channel to the Gulf, an official newspaper reported Wednesday. "Iraq will go through diplomatic procedures, including the closure of Safwan border point with Kuwait, in order to put pressures on Kuwait to change the location of Mubarak port," the state-run al-Sabah newspaper quoted Iraqi Transport Minister Hadi al-Amiri as saying. Amiri's move aimed at halting the flow of Kuwaiti goods and passengers to Iraq and put heavy economic pressures on the Kuwaiti government to change its plan of constructing its port, the paper said. He also assured Kuwaitis that Iraq is not intended to use military options to solve the issue, the paper added. Iraq frequently urged Kuwaitis to suspend the construction of what they called Mubarak al-Kabir Port, which Iraq believes would block its waterway or shipping lanes from its southern ports in Basra, as well as competing its own mega-port of Fao, which was planned to lie opposite to Mubarak port on the Khor Abdullah waterway. Amiri also said the construction of Mubarak port is a breach to the UN resolution 833, which stipulated safe and free navigation for the two countries. Kuwait denies Iraqi accusations, saying it is constructing its port in the shallow water within the Kuwaiti territorial waters. The new Mubarak port on Kuwait's Bubiyan Island, will cost more than one billion U.S. dollars and is scheduled to be completed in 2016. The project aimed at making Kuwait a key regional transportation hub.