Think Big: Why Broadening Negotiations Could Help Resolve the Kuwaiti-Iraqi Maritime Dispute
The Kuwaiti-Iraqi maritime dispute has been a source of tension between the two countries for decades. In recent years, the dispute has been mediated by the United Nations, but efforts to resolve it have been unsuccessful. The authors of this report argue that a broader negotiating approach, which addresses other outstanding issues, could be more effective.
One potential solution is to raise the stakes for both countries by creating a package deal. This would involve addressing the maritime dispute simultaneously with other unresolved issues. By creating a negotiating format that allows for trade-offs, the authors suggest that the price of failure would be higher, giving both countries an incentive to compromise.
The authors also suggest that the construction of ports by both Kuwait and Iraq on the same stretch of coastline could be a potential issue to be addressed in negotiations. This would require a joint agreement on the use of the ports and the sharing of revenue.
Overall, the authors believe that broadening the negotiating framework could be a more effective way to resolve the Kuwaiti-Iraqi maritime dispute. By addressing other outstanding issues, the authors suggest that the two countries may be more willing to compromise and reach a mutually acceptable solution.
