Railway project linking Iraq with Iran .. Warning against killing the large port of Faw

Iraq does not currently have railways with neighboring countries, and relies in trade exchange on the land and sea ports.

Because of the large increase in the supply of goods and commodities, and in order to reduce transportation costs, Iraq seeks to extend railways with neighboring countries, and among those planned, recently approved: the Basra-Shalamjah line, which connects it with Iran, with a length of 32 km. Read also Umm Qasr, the most important commercial port in Iraq … 6 decades to lay the foundation stone Hidden disputes and search for commissions .. Iraq signs, on Sunday, the controversial Faw port development contract Because of Corona … new procedures for transporting Iranian goods to Iraq

Tehran and Baghdad can, by following up and implementing the decisions of the joint committee between them, achieve important strides for economic advancement in both countries, according to what Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said last February, referring to the solution of the operational problems related to the “Shalamjah-Basra road project.” El-Sakki, saying, “We consider this project to be economic and commercial par excellence, and is intended to strengthen and increase communication channels between the two countries.”

the trade exchange

According to official figures, during the past year, Iran exported about 20 million and 800 thousand tons of various products, equivalent to 5 billion and 900 million dollars to Iraq; And it aims to increase this number to 20 billion dollars annually.

Iran has turned into a major exporter of goods in Iraq, for reasons linked to geographical proximity, which means lower transportation costs and greater competition for other foreign goods, at a time when the demand for the Iraqi product is weak.

The director general of the General Railways Company in Iraq (government) Talib al-Husseini believes that Iraq – and its important geographical location – can, through the railway link, maximize its financial revenues.

Al-Husseini added to Al-Jazeera Net that the current government headed by Mustafa Al-Kazemi is working on the completion of railway connectivity projects, and it has a real desire to connect with neighboring countries, due to its importance in the transport sector, as it is considered a basic pillar for the development of countries and their economic and cultural recovery.

Al-Husseini also revealed that the General Company for Railways has prepared studies, plans and meetings with some of the neighboring countries from a technical point of view, in order to achieve great economic feasibility in the railway connection.

And he expected 16% of world trade to pass through Iraq, as it is part of the “Silk Road” system, which will link Asia with Europe, after the rail link with Turkey is activated.

The Iraqi Council of Ministers headed by Al-Kazemi approved the construction of a railway between Basra and Shalamjah at the end of last month.

Expectations indicate the start of the implementation of the railway project between Iraq and Iran within 3 months.

Tehran seeks through this link to reach the Syrian port of Latakia in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as to deliver its trade to Iraq and link it to the port of “Imam Khomeini” located on the Iranian side of the Persian Gulf.

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The port of Faw was killed

The Iraqi Public Policy Consultant Manaf Al-Sayegh warned that the rail link project between Basra and Shalamjah would lead to emptying the economic importance of the large port of Al-Faw, which is currently being constructed.

He pointed out that the railway project with Iran does not give the true effectiveness of the Faw port, and will kill the basic idea of ​​the giant project.

He pointed out that the large port of Faw is considered one of the giant projects in the world, and is expected to play an important role in the global trade movement, specifically for the transport of goods from Asia to Europe and vice versa, with a lower financial cost and a shorter period of time.

Al-Sayegh added to Al-Jazeera Net that, upon completion, the port of Faw is supposed to be linked to a railway between Basra and Turkey, passing through Europe, to distribute the goods and goods produced from East Asian countries.

Iraq is considered the most important place among the continents of the world, due to its geographical position it enjoys, as it is bordered to the north by Turkey, to the northwest by Syria, and to the west by Jordan, while in the southwest, Saudi Arabia is bordered and next to it is Kuwait, which borders Iraq from the south, and from the east, Iran, which extends Its borders with him from Zakho to Al-Faw, and it is the largest shared border with Iraq among the neighboring countries.

China hopes that Iraq will complete the implementation of the large port of Al-Faw and complete its complementary phase, which is the dry canal, to connect Iraq with Turkey through the railway connection, which, according to the jeweler, will achieve huge financial resources, through international commercial dealings and transport operations, in addition to customs clearances.