The newspapers issued in Baghdad today, Monday, July 17, continued to follow up the international interest in the Development Road Project, and its strategic importance, and touched on the telephone talks between Prime Minister Muhammad Al-Sudani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Al-Zawraa newspaper, published by the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate, followed the international interest in the Development Road Project and what happened during the phone call between Prime Minister Muhammad al-Sudani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Government spokesman Basem Al-Awadi said in an interview with Al-Zawraa: “There is a set of important files between the Iraqi government and Turkey. At the forefront of these files is the border issue as well as water agreements, as well as the technical committees that have been working on this issue since the Prime Minister’s visit to Turkey in March, and also the issue of the Development Road, and relations and investments between the two countries, especially Turkish companies operating in Iraq.
He added, “The contacts between leaders and presidents at this level deal with all of these important issues,” noting: “The issue of water scarcity is one of the important issues that took a large part of the meeting of the Supreme Coordinating Committee for the provinces of Iraq last Monday.”
Al-Awadi pointed out: “The Turkish president is personally very enthusiastic about the Development Road Project, and he believes that this Project has great interest for Iraq, Turkey, the region and the world, so he is trying to communicate in the name of the Turkish Republic in order to rise together as two neighboring countries on the Development Road.”
He stressed: “The Development Road Project, before it is a regional and international need, it is an urgent Iraqi need, and most of the projects implemented in the country have a state of economic development and investment advancement, and we have the Faw Port.”
He continued: “Today we need a network of new roads, railways and land roads,” pointing out: When countries offer their investments to Iraq regarding the Development Road, they do not present conditions, but rather make great offers in order to work in Iraq, and the strongest party in imposing conditions by choosing companies and negotiating is Iraq”.
He explained: “The signing of the Development Road design contract with the Italian consulting company is in its final stages,” stressing: “The Italian company has completed the design of the first section of the land road and the section that extends from Al-Faw to the south of Nasiriyah, and work is still underway to sign the final contracts with the Italian company, so as the company puts the final designs for the road as well as the railways.
About the Development Road Project, Al-Sabah newspaper, published by the Iraqi Media Network, also said: “The strategic and future importance of the “Development Road” project constitutes an essential goal to provide the reasons for economic integration for the countries of the Middle East, where Iraq is located in the heart, and in a way that provides a serious opportunity for investments and ensuring common interests, economic and political partnerships and cooperation in the field of energy and facing the challenges of the environment, drought and food security.
The director of the Iraqi Center for Strategic Studies, Dr. Ghazi Faisal, said in an interview with Al-Sabah: “The economic and infrastructure projects of the Development Road project will form an essential base for building sustainable economic cooperation and contribute to regional industrial and agricultural integration.”
He pointed out that “the project provides the forming of a strategic economic space for integration and cooperation, which Iraq achieves ambition to turn into a vital trade route for trade and transportation of goods between the countries of the Middle East, the Arab Gulf, the European Union and India,” indicated that “all indications indicate that the project provides a vital opportunity to revive the Iraq economy, the development of regional and international trade, as well as investment in renewable energy projects in Iraq.
The director of the “Iraqi Center for Strategic Studies” believes that “the Development Road project can turn into a vital artery for the economy, through the establishment of industrial cities and residential cities surrounding the road, in addition to its main role for which it was established, which is linking the Faw Port with Turkey and European countries, and linking Turkish and European trade through the port of Faw with the countries of the Gulf and Asia.”
Source: National Iraqi News Agency