Iraqi PM calls for holding 2025 Arab Summit in Baghdad
The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani. Photo: Prime Minister’s press office
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, called on Arab Leaders on Friday to hold the 2025 Arab League Summit in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, during his speech at the 32nd Arab League Summit held in the Saudi city of Jeddah, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s press office.
“Many countries built successful economic blocs, where members do not share common elements,” Al-Sudani stated.
“Therefore, we must review economic interdependence and integration between our countries,” Al-Sudani added.
The Iraqi Prime Minister explained that Iraq would host several conferences, including the ‘Baghdad 2023’ conference, for economic integration and regional stability, the statement illustrated.
The Prime Minister said that Baghdad is currently preparing to host the Development Route Conference, the promising project that will strengthen the bonds and serve the interests of the people, according to the statement.
On May 2, The Iraqi Ministry of Transport announced it sent official invitations to ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions of Iraq’s neighboring countries and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to attend a conference on the ‘Development Route’ that will be held in Iraq at the end of May.
The Ministry of Transport did not mention the exact date of the conference, elaborating only that it would be held under the auspices of the Prime Minister.
The ‘Development Route’ is the name given by the Iraqi government to what was known as the dry canal that connects the Al-Faw Grand Port in the southern Iraqi governorate of Basra with the Turkish territories through railway networks and roads.
In a joint press conference held in March with the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Al-Sudani stated that the ‘Development Route’ 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, 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 expected to be one of the largest cities in the Middle East.