Iraq, Turkey agree to move forward with ‘development route’
The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, and the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during a joint press conference. Photo: Prime Minister’s press office
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, met on Tuesday with the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the Turkish capital, Ankara, where they held constructive discussions, Al-Sudani said via Twitter.
“We affirmed Iraq’s keenness to open up to neighboring countries and establish economic partnerships that enhance bilateral integration,” the Iraqi Prime Minister mentioned.
“We also agreed to move forward with the development route that connects the east with the west, and passes through both Iraq and Turkey,” Al-Sudani stated.
In a joint press conference with Erdogan, Al-Sudani said that the development route project and the dry canal are not only for Iraq and Turkey, but for the region and the world.
“It is the global corridor to transport goods and energy,” the Prime Minister explained.
Al-Sudani also clarified that the energy that will be transported through the development route (the dry canal) will come from countries in the region and from Iraq, which will be, in the coming years, a gas-exporting country as it has enormous gas reserves.
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, and will reach a capacity of 7.5 million tons in the second phase.
Al-Sudani elaborated that the development route 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 that is expected to be one of the largest cities in the Middle East.
Al-Sudani 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.