Al-Sudani lays the foundation stone for the railway link project between Iraq and Iran

Al-Sudani lays the foundation stone for the railway link project between Iraq and Iran

2023-09-02 00:42

Shafaq News/ The Prime Minister, Muhammad Shia’a Al-Sudani, laid today, Saturday morning, the foundation stone for the railway linkage project, at the Shalamjah border crossing in Basra Governorate, to transport travelers and visitors to the holy shrines, between Iran and Iraq, in the presence of the Iranian Vice President, Muhammad Mukhber.

Al-Sudani pointed out in a speech during the ceremony of laying the foundation stone for the project, to the importance of the railway link project in transporting travelers and visitors to the holy shrines, from Iran and the countries of Central Asia, as well as its importance in strengthening the infrastructure of the Iraqi economy and increasing its growth, indicating that the project has been subject to years of discussion and has been completed. The agreement to complete it between Iraq and Iran in 2021.

He explained that the railway link through the Shalamcheh port is one of several links to transport travelers and visitors to the holy shrines, which are scheduled to reach the governorates of Najaf and Karbala.

Al-Sudani added that the project represents another pillar in strengthening the infrastructure of our economy, raising Iraq’s ability to communicate with neighboring countries, and receiving travelers from Iran and Central Asian countries, through the railway linkage project.

And he added that the railways are still considered the highest means in terms of their economic feasibility, the cheapest in transportation, and the most secure, pointing out that there is no economy in the world that has positive indicators of growth, unless the railways are part of its supporting structure.

The Prime Minister warned that the (Development Road) project will provide great opportunities for developmental transformations after the completion of the port of Faw and the industrial city attached to it, and will constitute a new path among the transport paths in the region.

He noted that the government paid attention to the issue of constructive partnership, because it is the backbone of stability and development in Iraq and the region.

Al-Sudani considered the relationship between Iraq and Iran strategic, and said: We are working on the border industrial city project and the joint transportation routes between the two countries.

In his turn, Mukhber predicted, in a statement reported by Iranian official media, that the trade exchange process between the country and Iraq would witness a “huge jump” after the completion of the strategic (Basra-Shalamja) railway project, adding that this project will link the railways between the two countries and would Completes international transportation routes.

Mokhber said: This important path will be completed with the cooperation of the two countries during the next two years, within the framework of the policy of strengthening relations with neighbors, and after two years of continuous follow-up, and we hope that it will be a source of good and blessing for the countries of Iran and Iraq, as well as for the countries of the region.

And he considered the linking of Iranian railway lines with Iraq and its extension to the Mediterranean after several decades as a “happy event,” adding that “we will witness a huge jump in trade exchange between the two countries with the completion of the railway link project.”

The Vice President of the Iranian Republic added that the countries located in the east of the world can reach and communicate with the Mediterranean countries through this railway. We also hope that this line will play a special role in facilitating travel between Iran and Iraq.

He went on to say that the efforts are represented in the implementation of the project, as about 1.4 kilometers of this road were built after 1,600 demining operations, and we reached the border.

Mukhber added that Iran assumed responsibility for clearing mines at a length of 16 kilometers within the scope of the plan and accomplished this task. Clearing mines from the next 16 to 18 kilometers is Iraq’s responsibility.

In April 2023, the Iraqi Minister of Transport, Razzaq Mohibis Al-Saadawi, announced that an agreement had been concluded with the Iranian side to implement a railway to transport passengers between the cities of Shalamja and Basra.

Last May, the Iraqi State Railways Company concluded with its Iranian counterpart a memorandum of understanding on executive procedures for the railway link between the two countries.

For his part, economist Nabil Al-Marsoumi said that the first phase of the project is to extend a railway line between the cities of Khorramshahr and Basra, with a length of 36 km, with a construction period of 18 months. Then to the Syrian port of Latakia on the Mediterranean

And he added that the initial cost of the first phase is 148 million dollars, and the total cost after completing the second phase will reach 10 billion dollars, indicating that it was agreed that each country bears the cost of constructing this line.

Al-Marsoumi also indicated that “the purpose of the project: transporting about 3 million passengers between Iraq and Iran and transporting goods, as there are two corridors of the Silk Roads, one by sea and the other by land, and the sea extends from northern China to Europe and Africa through the Red Sea, and the other route extends from China.” To the southern ports of Iran, which enjoys an important geostrategic location, from which goods are shipped. As for the land route, it extends from southern China to Kazakhstan, then Central Asia, then western Iran, and from western Iran there are three roads, one of which goes to Istanbul, then to Europe, and the other to Azerbaijan.

He added, “As for the third road that concerns Iraq, it connects Iran with Iraq and Syria, and it is the only road that connects to the Silk Road, or through the great port of Faw,” noting that Iran began in 2019 to implement a project to link the “Imam Khomeini” port located On the Iranian side of the Gulf waters in the Syrian port of Latakia, through a railway network passing through Iraqi territory. This project is described as strategic by the Iranians and more important than the rest of the land transport lines.

Regarding the difficulties facing the project, the Iraqi economist explained that the areas through which the railway (Khorramshahr-Basra) passes are characterized by soft land as well as containing mines, which increases the difficulty of implementing the project, and it is likely that the two sides will be satisfied with the 15 land crossings.

On the importance of the project for Iran, Al-Marsoumi said that it lies in facilitating the transportation of travelers to Iraq and maximizing economic gains for Iran at the level of improving trade and relations with its neighbors. The projects could help establish trade corridors across Iranian territory, which would allow Iran to be at the center of merchandise flows in the east, west, north and south.

On the importance of the project for Iraq, the economist said: Facilitating the transportation of Iraqi travelers to Iran, as well as facilitating Iraq’s merchandise imports from Iran and obtaining transit fees for the transit of Iranian goods through Iraq.

Regarding the concerns associated with the project, Al-Marsoumi stressed that there should be a detailed study and economic feasibility studies to ensure that this project does not negatively affect the port of Faw, the dry canal or the development road.

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