Page 106 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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123. When the Ruler visited Bagdad in March 1952 he and his staff discussed
a number of matters with the Iraqi authorities. He was informed by the Prime I
Minister that Kuwait could have as much water as it liked from Iraq provided all
the expenditure involved was borne by Kuwait (paragraph 23 above), that in future
Kuwaitis would be allowed to acquire property in their own names in Iraq, and
that the Iraqi Government would help in the matter of the date gardens.(i,,u) At a l
lower level it was agreed that it was desirable to abolish visas for Iraqis visiting
Kuwait and vice versa and to reduce postal and cable charges between the two
countries. The Iraqis also agreed that they would allow the export of fruit,
vegetables, wheat and flour to Kuwait when they were plentiful, that Kuwaiti
private cars might enter Iraq and stay there for short periods without paying
customs duty and that goods destined for Kuwait should be allowed to move freely
in transit through Iraq.C1) The Ruler handed to the Political Agent draft agree­
ments which had been prepared in Bagdad about customs arrangements and Posts
and Telegraphs, and urged that early action should be taken to embody them in
formal agreements between Her Majesty’s Government and the Iraqi Government
before the latter changed their mind.I2*2) Her Majesty’s Government prepared a
draft trade agreement based on the draft customs agreement, but omitting a provision
for the boycott of Zionist goods which the latter contained, and forwarded it to the
Political Resident to obtain the Ruler’s approval of it.(2B3) After this had been done
it was presented to the Iraqi Government who raised the same objection about
entering into an agreement with Her Majesty’s Government in respect of Kuwait
as they had done in the case of the proposed Extradition Agreement (paragraph 122
above) and made alternative proposals.^**) Her Majesty’s Embassy was instructed
to return to the charge with the Iraqi Government and to show them the Kuwait
Saudi-Arabian Trade Agreement^"5) as a precedent but no further progress had
been made in the negotiation of the agreement by the end of 1953. So far as the
proposed agreement for the abolition of visas between Kuwait and Iraq was
concerned Her Majesty’s Embassy at Bagdad wrote to the Iraqi Government on
the subject in May 1952. In February 1953 they wrote again suggesting that as
the Kuwaiti authorities had decided in June 1952 that Iraqi nationals need no
longer obtain visas in order to visit Kuwait, the Iraqi authorities should accord
reciprocal treatment to Kuwaitis pending the conclusion of a formal agreement.C'M")
The Iraqi Government replied that they had decided to abolish visas between Iraq
and Kuwait on certain bases and asked for confirmation that these bases were
acceptable to the Kuwaiti authorities. These bases were applicable to all Arab
countries and the Iraqi Government subsequently forwarded them in a revised
form headed “ Instructions for the abolition of visas between Iraq and Kuwait.”(2*7)
The Kuwait Government concurred in the instructions in October I953('HS) but no
agreement had been concluded by the end of the year. The proposals made by
the Iraqis about Post and Telegraphs were discussed by the General Post Office
and Cable and Wireless, Ltd. respectively at a departmental level with the Iraqi
Director General of Posts and Telegraphs and a measure of agreement reached
(paragraphs 201 and 208 below).
124. In 1926 it was held that Iraqis in Kuwait were entitled to the Political
Agent’s protection.(28U) Iraq was at the time under a British Mandate, and it is
presumed that the Political Agent’s special responsibility towards Iraqis ceased
with the Mandate in 1932. On the judicial side Iraqis have been under the Ruler’s
jurisdiction since the issue of the first Order in Council in 1925.(2a0) Until 1949 the
Political Agent issued visas for Iraq on behalf of the Iraqi Government but since
then his responsibilities with regard to Iraq do not extend beyond those which he
exercises on behalf of any other foreign country outside the Commonwealth.
125. In 1931 the Ruler agreed to effect the service in Kuwait of summonses
and other judicial documents issued by Iraqi Courts when forwarded through the
(**•) Kuwait to F.O. 31/11/52 of March 9. 1952 (EA 1941/7 of 1952).
(*•') Kuwait to F.O. 3112/52 of March 10. 1952 (EA 10393/8 of 1952).
(”’) Kuwait to F.O. 219/2/52 of April 8. 1952 (EA 10393/14 of 1952).
(*“*) F.O. to P.R. Despatch 102 of June 26. 1952 (EA 10393/23 of 1952).
(SM) Baghdad to F.O. 1034/20/52 of October 2. 1952 (EA 10393/30 of 1952).
(”') No. 12 II.T.C.
(SM) Bagdad to F.O. Despatch No. 68 of April 13. 1953 (EA 1622/6 of 1953).
(*”) Bagdad to F.O. Despatch 141 of August 10. 1953 (GA 1622/12 of 1953).
(*”) Kuwait to F.O. 126/4/53 of October 8. 1953 (EA 1622/15 of 1953).
(*M) I.O. to F.O. P. 2439 of August 5. 1926 (E 4632/768/91 of 1926).
(,M) Para. 26 at p. 78. P.G. 13.

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