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SUBMARINE BOUNDARIES 295
to establish a joint ‘committee of experts’ whose task would be to
study on an equitable basis the problems of the division of the conti­
nental shelf between the two States. Similarly, discussions were held
in April between the Iranian Foreign Minister and Saudi Government
officials. It was then understood that the two parties agreed to refer
their dispute to a jointly appointed ‘committee of experts’ which should
study it and recommend an equitable basis for resolving it.1
The negotiations on the definition of offshore boundaries have
continued ever since between Iran, on the one side of the Gulf, and
the Arab States, on the other side of it. The crucial problem in these
negotiations is centred around the question of finding an equitable
basis for constructing the Gulf median line which should thus separate, :
more accurately, the Persian claimed areas of natural resources from
the Arabian claimed areas.2 Once this goal is achieved, it would then
be possible for Iran and each of the Arab States, on the other side of
the Gulf, to reappraise and determine the boundaries of the conces­
sionary areas of their respective oil companies, on both sides of the
line, in accordance with the delineation settlements reached among
them.
To the time of going to press, one offshore boundary agreement has
been initialled, but not yet signed, in December 1965,3 between Iran
and Saudi Arabia. This agreement firstly, determines the sovereignty i
of Saudi Arabia and Iran, respectively, over the two offshore islands of
al-Arabiya and Farsi, and secondly, divides the sea-bed and sub-soil i
areas of the continental shelf contiguous to the Saudi and Iranian
coasts on the basis of the median line principle. The remaining offshore
boundary disputes which have not yet been resolved concern the
following:
lran-Jraq: Negotiations regarding the demarcation of the sea-bed and
sub-soil areas of the continental shelf between the two States have not
developed beyond the proposal made in August 1963 to the effect r ;
that ‘joint exploitation of oil resources located in the disputed offshore
areas would be “in the interests of the two sides’’ ’ 4
Iran-Kuwait: With respect to the definition of the offshore boundaries
between Iran and Kuwait proper, negotiations which have been in
progress for some time have not yet produced an agreed solution.5
‘ MEES, No. 3, 22 November 1963, and No. 24, 17 April 1964. ;
2 Sec above, pp. 286-9 for useful suggestions on how equitable settlements
could be reached on the question. I
3 See below, p. 310. i
4 MEES, No. 46, 16 September 1966.
4 One of the main obstacles in the negotiations between Iran and Kuwait in this
matter appears to be ‘Iran’s insistence on using Kharg (Khark) island as the base
point for determining the Gulf median line (on the ground that it is linked to the