Iraq, Turkey to sign agreements on Development Road
An Iraqi delegation from the Ministry of Transport during a meting with their Turkish counterparts in Ankara, Turkey. Photo: INA
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Ministry of Transport announced on Sunday that bilateral agreements related to the Development Road will be signed between Iraq and Turkey.
An Iraqi delegation from the Transport Ministry visited the Turkish capital, Ankara, and held important discussions with officials of the Turkish Ministry of Transport regarding the Development Road project and its economic importance for Iraq, Turkey, countries of the region and the world, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
These discussions are expected to pave the way for bilateral agreements under the supervision of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani.
The meeting between both sides addressed railways in Turkey and the Turkish plans to develop shipping and rail transport operations with Iraq and the rest of the world.
The Turkish side confirmed their country’s interest in the Development Road and indicated their desire to provide support to the project.
The Iraqi delegation reviewed the importance and the main stages of the project and gave a presentation on the capacity, operation, specifications, number and types of stations, and communications system of the railway that will be part of the Development Road project.
The Turkish side emphasized that it has begun to build a 133-kilometer railway linking the Turkish railways with the Iraqi-Turkish border to ensure that the Al-Faw Grad Port will be linked with Europe.
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, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, stated that the Development Road represents a global corridor to transport goods and energy.
The 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.