The Path To Development Is The Beginning Of An Economic Partnership, 27 JUNE

  The Path To Development Is The Beginning Of An Economic Partnership

 Economical 06/26/2024  Baghdad: Shukran Al-Fatlawi  Economic affairs specialists believe that the “development path”    represents a qualitative shift in the Iraqi economy and the beginning of a new and important phase, which

      qualifies it to be the main point of contact in the issues of trade linkage between the East and West, the Gulf and Europe, in addition to its

      strategic and developmental importance and its role in

      eliminating unemployment, reviving the labor market and

      activating... The wheel of industry.

 During the “Development Road” conference organized by Iraq last year,

  which witnessed broad international participation that expressed its real desire to participate in the Iraqi strategic project, Prime Minister Muhammad Shia’ al-Sudani affirmed that the “Development Road,” which

      extends from the far south of Iraq to Turkey, is an ambitious and thoughtful plan to change... The reality

      is towards a solid economic structure, and that the project, with its work platforms,

      added value to national and local products, and economic levers, is a

      pillar of the sustainable non-oil economy, and a

      link that serves Iraq’s neighbors and the region. He added that

 Iraq will launch this promising project towards an economic partnership with neighboring countries and the region, which will make Iraq a source of modern industries and goods, and all of this will rely on multimodal corridors, more than 1,200 km of railways, their joint interoperability, and highways.

 The Director General of the General Railway Company of the Ministry of Transport, Younis Al-Kaabi, confirmed in a press statement that

 “the development road is proceeding at a confident pace, and that

the Supreme Committee discussed in its last meeting the latest developments in the project, as the percentage of railway designs exceeded 76% and the

 highway reached approximately 68%, and soil and topographic surveys exceeded 90%.” He stressed that

 "the project is receiving international attention, as all countries have a desire to be part, participate or support the project," noting that

"large, reputable international companies have expressed their willingness to work on the project, and this gives more reliability that the project is capable of success."

Economist Dr. Adnan Bahia pointed out in an interview with “Al-Sabah” that

the importance of Iraq lies in its geographical location, a direct link between the Arabian Gulf, Turkey, and then Europe, which qualifies it to be the main and important focal point in issues of commercial connectivity and transit, as well as trade.

 He crossed the seas between East and West, thus placing him in the experience of international trade between East and West, the Gulf and Europe. He continued that

 after China launched the “Belt and Road” initiative, dozens of countries joined the agreement that revives trade between East and West,

indicating that the “Belt and Road” initiative includes the maritime line represented by trade through ports in the Arabian Sea, the Arabian Gulf and other seas, in addition to land routes. spread in East Asia, then the Middle East towards Europe, expressing his regret that Iraq, for many ill-considered reasons, turned away from this path and did not join the Chinese initiative.

 Bahiya considered Iraq’s establishment of an alternative road to the “Belt and Road Initiative,” which is the “development road,” an important initiative, as it links the Arabian Gulf on which it is currently located, and the large Al-Faw port, in which work has reached advanced stages, pointing to the completion of its first phase, which contains Five berths,

 in addition to the berths of Umm Qasr Port, Khor Abdullah Port and Al-Zubair Port, all of which are ports that make the country distinguished by the ability to accommodate large ships and deliver goods from the sea to Al-Faw and then to Europe.

 He noted the importance of having a new private road with a high capacity to contain large quantities of international trade and unload shipments from ships, and then send them overland to Europe through the “development road” that connects the port of Al-Faw and western Iraq towards the Fish Khabour area on the border between Iraq and Turkey. Close to the Syrian border, then entering Turkey and then to Europe.

 For her part, the researcher in economic affairs, Suhad Al-Shammari, in an interview with Al-Sabah, described the “development path” as a qualitative shift in the Iraqi economy, and a new beginning for an important stage, as it brings together important regional partnerships that create common ground that protects interests and develops and maintains relations with neighboring countries.

Al-Shammari added that the development road plays a role in resolving problems and confronting conflicts, as

 it is a comprehensive project that starts from the port of Al-Faw and passes through many Iraqi governorates, in addition to transporting passengers and goods more widely and in a shorter time and addresses many problems related to vital sectors in Iraq, stressing that

 The strategic project represents Iraq's return to the global platform with a strong economy and expanded investment projects.    https://alsabaah.iq/98526-.html