TNAG-2028-FCO40-2890-Hong-Kong-freezing-of-Kuwaiti-and-Iraqi-assets-1990 — Page 118

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INDEX

INFO ROUTINE KUWAIT

064361

MDLIAN 3198

(7)

PROPERTY OF KUWAIT GOVERNMENT IN THE UK

1.

ON 14 AUGUST THE HEAD OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT IN THE MFA SAID TO ME THAT IN LEGAL TERMS THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT HAD BECOME THE SUCCESSORS TO ALL KUWAIT'S PROPERTY DEBTS ETC. HE

HANDED ME AN ENVELOPE WHICH HE SAID CONTAINED A NOTE FROM

THE MFA TO THE FCO STATING THAT WEF 8 AUGUST ALL THE ASSETS

IN THE UK OF THE FORMER GOVERNMENT OF KUWAIT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED THE PROPERTY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAQ. THE SAME APPLIED TO THE ASSESTS OF THE PERSONS CONSTITUTING THE FORMER GOVERNMENT, WHOSE NAMES WERE LISTED.

2. DR AKRAM AL-WITRI ADDED THAT THIS WOULD BE ''CONTROVERSIAL''

SO IF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT COULD NOT DO WHAT THE NOTE ASKED THE IRAQIS WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT AT LEAST IT SHOULD FREEZE THE ASSETS IN QUESTION UNTIL THINGS WERE SORTED OUT.

3=

I SAID THAT THE REQUEST WOULD INDEED BE CONTROVERSIAL. SINCE WE CONSIDERED THE IRAQI TAKE-OVER OF KUWAIT NULL AND VOID WE SHOULD LIKEWISE CONSIDER NULL AND VOID ANY STATEMENT OF THE

KIND AKRAM HAD OUTLINED TO ME AS BEING IN THE NOTE.

FOLLOWING IS MY UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION OF THE NOTE, WHICH IS DATED 14 AUGUST.

4.

BEGINS

THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF IRAQ PRESENTS ITS COMPLIMENTS TO THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN

IRELAND AND HAS THE HONOUR TO STATE THE FOLLOWING:

(A) THE SUMS DEPOSITED IN BRITISH BANKS, AND THE OTHER FUNDS AND PROPERTY PERTAINING TO THE FORMER GOVERNMENT OF KUWAIT THAT ARE NOW TO BE FOUND IN THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND

NORTHERN IRELAND HAVE COME UNDER THE OWNERSHIP IF THE REPUBLIC

OF IRAQ WITH EFFECT FROM 8 AUGUST 1990, THE DAY OF THE UNION BETWEEN

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