Khatami delays visit to Kuwait

Iranian President Mohammad Khatami's visit to Kuwait is still on the president's agenda but it has been delayed due to 'organisational matters', Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said yesterday.

"There is nothing that prevents Khatami's visit to Kuwait except organisational matters and we should follow up this issue," Asefi told reporters at the Kuwait Journalists Association.

Asefi arrived in Kuwait yesterday on a two-day official visit for talks with officials on bilateral issues.

He said that Khatami and other Iranian officials are aware of the significance of improving relations with Kuwait. He, however, did not give any itinerary for president's visit.

Regarding the multi-billion dollar project to export fresh water to Kuwait, Asefi said the matter needs to be approved by parliaments of both countries. He said that the project must be approved by Kuwaiti parliament first and then the Iranian parliament.

Asefi said that progress has been achieved in talks between Kuwait and Iran on resolving a maritime dispute over the gas-rich continental shelf which contains the Dorra gas field.

He said that settlement of the dispute is being delayed by experts who are still discussing the issue, but added that "good progress has been achieved recently".

The dispute dates back to the 1960s over the offshore gas-field which Iran claims its territory.

Asefi reiterated Tehran's denial that Al Qaida front-man in Iraq, Abu Mussab Al Zarqawi was in Iran, saying that the Islamic Republic does not accept Al Zarqawi's ideology.

Regarding the dispute over the Iranian nuclear programme, Asefi said: "We will resume the enrichment of uranium. Halting that is not on the agenda of Iran. We will provide them [the Europeans] with guarantees that we will not deviate or commit mistakes in our nuclear programme and they will guarantee we continue the enrichment," he said.

The writer is a journalist based in Kuwait.