STATEMENT ON RETURN OF KUWAITI DOCUMENTS ISSUED BY OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

STATEMENT ON RETURN OF KUWAITI DOCUMENTS ISSUED

BY OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

The following statement was issued today by the Office of the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The current operation of the transfer of the first batch of Kuwaiti documents, which commenced on 19 October at Camp Abdaly in the demilitarized zone between Iraq and Kuwait, was completed today.  The United Nations arranged the transfer while representatives of the League of Arab States witnessed the procedure.

Substantive issues regarding the nature and content of these documents should be referred to either Iraq or Kuwait, because the transfer was organized in such a way that only Iraq or Kuwait has access to the contents of the individual files.  The United Nations never had custody of the documents.  Kuwaiti officials are examining the transferred documents.

Iraq is obligated to return all Kuwaiti property, including archives, in accordance with Security Council resolution 1284 (1999).  Further information on this return will be included in the forthcoming Secretary-General’s report submitted in accordance with paragraph 14 of resolution 1284, due in mid-December.

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