Tehran hints at goodwill to resolve gas field row
Iran says it always observes the principles of good neighborliness and mutual interests in exploiting shared hydrocarbon reservoirs, as the controversy surrounding the Arash joint oil and gas field with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait erupted anew.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani on Tuesday reacted to the latest claims by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait over their “exclusive rights” to Arash strategic maritime gas field, known as Al-Dorra in the two Arab countries, in the resource-rich Persian Gulf, Press TV reported.
In response to such claims, Kanaani said senior directors of the Iranian and Kuwaiti foreign ministries held their latest round of “legal and technical” negotiations in Tehran on March 13 about the demarcation of the disputed area.
Zhang Jianwei, the Chinese ambassador to Kuwait, also commented on the dispute, urging all sides to engage in negotiations and friendly consultations, according to ISNA.
The ambassador stressed that China has not yet been asked to mediate talks in this regard and reiterated Beijing’s respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries in the region.