A spokesman for Iraq's Oil Ministry said that the country would continue to negotiate with Iran and Kuwait concerning the joint oil fields, and emphasized the need for a joint company to develop these joint fields and to determine afterwards each country's share.
While both Iran and Kuwait have expressed their intention to reach such an agreement, Iraq has decided to grant exploration permits to foreign companies in order to increase its production capacity, since waiting further “is not in the interest of the Iraqi people.”
[The Iraqi statement suggests that while both Iran and Kuwait have expressed some interest in reaching a tripartite agreement with Iraq, they have been dragging their feet because both countries have been drawing oil from these joint fields, ignoring Iraq’s share in them.]
Source: Al-Hayat, London, January 7, 2009
