Iraq, Turkey to establish offices to track Development Road’s progress
The Iraqi Minister of Transport, Razzaq Muhaibas Al-Saadawi, the Turkish Minister of Transport, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, and officials from both sides. Photo: INA
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Minister of Transport, Razzaq Muhaibas Al-Saadawi, agreed on Friday with the Turkish Minister of Transport, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, to establish offices in both Baghdad and Ankara to oversee the progress made in the Development Road project.
The two sides met in the Turkish capital, Ankara, to discuss details related to the Development Road project, according to a statement released by the Iraqi Transport Ministry.
Al-Saadawi reaffirmed that Iraq is committed to meeting all requirements of the project and that foreign companies are looking forward to significant investment opportunities in the Development Road Project.
Uraloglu called on the Iraqi government to increase the number of Turkish flights to Iraq, commending Al-Saadawi’s achievements in the air transport sector between the two countries.
The Iraqi Transport Minister asked the Turkish side to establish visa offices at airports and facilitate the process of providing visas to Iraqis.
The Iraqi embassy in Ankara said in a statement that Al-Saadawi and Uraloglu evaluated the project’s completion rate.
Many Arab, regional, and European countries have expressed their willingness to participate in Iraq’s Development Road project, either by pumping in investments or taking part in the construction works, as it constitutes an important link between Asia and Europe.
The value of the project is estimated at $17 billion. It will connect the Al-Faw Grand Port in southern Iraq to the border with Turkey by extending a railway and road network.
The project is expected to turn the country into a transit center by shortening the travel time between Asia and Europe in an attempt to compete with Egypt’s Suez Canal.