Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed Al-Sabah on Wednesday clarified that the Kuwait-Iraq borders have been finalized in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 833.

The official KUNA news agency quoted Sheikh Mohammed as saying that border demarcation between the two countries was not a subject for discussion.

"Whether there are any doubts regarding the location of the demarcation spots, this could be clarified by the United Nations' technical committee, which was formed in accordance with the UNSC's resolution 833," he said, adding the resolution has clearly stated that "maintenance of the borders' demarcation spots is the responsibility of the UN."

Regarding the compensation to Iraqi farmers affected by the border demarcation, Sheikh Mohammed revealed that there has been a UN fund dedicated to this case and the compensation is estimated to 1 million US dollars.

Over the latest border dispute, hundreds of Iraqis last week gathered at the border area of Umm Qasr to protest a metal barrier Kuwait is building along the border.

The 213-km barrier, which has so far stretched over 205 km, was designed to prevent smuggling and sneaking on borders, Kuwaiti Interior Ministry's Undersecretary Assistant for Border Security Sulaiman al Fahd said.

The barrier project was kicked off last September after a meeting with Iraqi officials and a land survey to make sure there was no violation on joint international borders, Fahd added.

(Xinhua News Agency August 4, 2005)