Iraq, Turkey discuss steps to carry out Development Road project
The construction work in the Al-Faw Grand Port. Photo: INA
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi and Turkish ministers of transport discussed on Saturday steps to carry out the Development Road project, which includes roads and railways extending from southern Iraq to Turkey and its ports.
The Iraqi Minister of Transport, Razzaq Muhibis Al-Saadawi, met in Baghdad with the Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, to discuss the Development Road project in the presence of senior officials from both countries, according to a statement issued by the Iraqi Transport Ministry.
Al-Saadawi indicated that the meeting addressed the technical, legal, financial and operational aspects of the project.
The Iraqi Transport Minister added that joint committees have been formed between Baghdad and Ankara to discuss different aspects of the project.
The Development Road is the name given by the Iraqi government to what was known as the dry canal that connects the Al-Faw Grand Port in southern Iraq with the Turkish territories through railway networks and roads.
It will extend for 1,200 kilometers from Al-Faw port town in southern Iraq to Faysh Khabur town in the northern Iraqi governorate of Duhok.
The Development Road includes a railway where electric trains will pass through 10 Iraqi governorates.
In a joint press conference held in March with the Turkish President, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, stated that the Development Road represents a global corridor to transport goods and energy.
The Iraqi Prime Minister illustrated that the project includes a railway to transport goods, with a capacity of 3.5 million tons in its first phase that will be increased to 7.5 million tons in the second phase.
Al-Sudani elaborated that the project will also include a highway for land transport and pipelines to transport energy, in addition to the Al-Faw Grand Port and the industrial city expected to be one of the largest in the Middle East.
The Iraqi Premier added that the project will generate many job opportunities for Iraq and the countries of the region, as well as opportunities for industries and businessmen, and it will be a center attracting global trade.