Iran reacts to Kuwait stances on Arash joint gas field

The issue of delimitating maritime boundaries has been one of the topics discussed by Iran and Kuwait, and the last round of legal and technical negotiations was held between Iranian and Kuwaiti delegations on March 13 in Tehran,  Nasser Kan'ani said on Tuesday.

Issues related to the delimitation of maritime borders and exploitation of common hydrocarbon resources have always been one of the concerns of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kan'ani said, adding that Iran considers common interests and the principle of good neighborliness with all neighbors, including Kuwait.

The policy of the Iranian government is based on dialogue and cooperation, he noted, adding that bilateral issues will be pursued in this framework.

The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) has recently quoted a Saudi official as saying that the natural resources of the Arash field, which is known as Al Durra in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, solely belong to the two Arab countries and that Iran should accept the demarcation of the borderline without any claims to the disputed field.

Earlier on Monday, Iranian lawmaker Hadi Beiginejad reacted to the remarks by Kuwaiti and Saudi officials that Iran has no rights in the Arash gas field, saying that Iran has a 40 percent share in the field. 

He underlined that the Arash joint gas field is located next to Esfandiar, Forozan, and Soroush fields on a border line and Iran has a share in all these fields.

Beiginejad called on the Saudis to respect the rights of their neighbors. “Instead of these comments, the Saudi authorities should observe the principle of good neighborliness in their relations with their neighbors and respect the rights of their neighbors,” he suggested.