Egypt apologises to Kuwait over map showing it as part of Iraq

Egypt has apologised to Kuwait for accidentally using a map depicting Kuwait as part of Iraq, saying it will investigate the error.

Kuwaiti officers attending a lecture at the Command and Staff College in Cairo, organised by the Egyptian military, were shocked to find their country missing from a map on the wall instead showing their home as part of Iraq.

Officials apologised to the Kuwaiti attendees and informed them the illustration was unintentional, the Gulf country’s embassy in Cairo said.

The issue is particularly sensitive in Kuwait due to it being invaded by and made the "19th governorate" of Iraq, triggering a US-led offensive to force the Iraqi military out of the country.

السفارة الكويتية في #القاهرة |

تلقينا اعتذاراً مصرياً عن عرض خريطة لا تتضمن الكويت. pic.twitter.com/ZU0w4VOWaM

— كويت أون لاين (@kuwaitonline) September 12, 2023

Translation: Kuwaiti Embassy in Cairo: "We received an Egyptian apology for displaying a map that did not include Kuwait."

Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah reportedly spoke to his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shukri by phone to discuss the matter.

Shukri explained that it was merely a mistake and that a comprehensive investigation was started.

Egypt said such incidents would not harm the historic relations between the two countries.

Kuwait shares a 254 km border with its much larger neighbour Iraq.

Former Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion of the country in August 1990 and annexed it, triggering the 1991 Gulf War. The Iraqi army was expelled from Kuwait in February 1991 and its independence was restored.

Iraq has paid $50 billion in reparations to Kuwait, with reparation payments ending in 2022.