BAGHDAD — The prime minister of Kuwait visited Iraq on Wednesday in the highest-level meeting between the countries since Saddam Hussein invaded the small, oil-rich emirate 20 years ago.
Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheik Nasser al-Mohammed al-Sabah’s visit marked a significant diplomatic step for Iraq, which has struggled to mend relations with its Persian Gulf neighbors and is frantically preparing to host a summit of Arab nations in March.
Iraq still owes Kuwait tens of billions of dollars in damages, and the countries have yet to agree on disputed borders and maritime access. It wasn’t until last month that the U.N. Security Council lifted most of the sanctions it had imposed on Iraq after the 1991 conflict with Kuwait.
The two countries seem eager to repair the relationship. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has said he will visit Kuwait soon.
McClatchy Newspapers
