Kuwait says accepts Iraq request on Gulf war reparations

KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwait said it accepted an Iraqi request related to reparations imposed by the U.N. Security Council over its 1990 invasion of Kuwait, state news agency KUNA said on Thursday, ahead of discussions in Geneva on the request. A U.N. official said on Wednesday that Iraq, its economy battered by declining oil prices and war with Islamist militants, has requested a one-year deferral of a $4.6 billion (£2.9 billion) reparations payment for destroying Kuwait's oil facilities during its 1990-91 occupation. Asked about reports that Iraq had asked to defer payment of the last tranche of its reparations to Kuwait, Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Khaled al-Jarallah was quoted as saying: "The brothers in Iraq have presented the request formally and unilaterally and Kuwait has accepted and responded to this request." (Reporting by Ahmed Hagagy, writing by Sami Aboudi)