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By Ahmed Asmar
ANKARA (AA) – Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammed Shia al-Sudani said Monday he agreed with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to bolster security cooperation to enhance the stability of the two neighbors.
“The security of Iraq and Türkiye is inseparable,” al-Sudani said during a joint press conference in the capital Baghdad.
The Iraqi premier stressed that his country will not allow any group to use Iraqi territories to launch attacks against neighboring countries, referring mainly to the PKK terror group.
Al-Sudani said that Iraq and Türkiye have signed 24 memoranda of understanding during Erdogan's visit.
The two leaders witnessed the signing of a preliminary agreement between Türkiye, Iraq, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to cooperate on the Development Road project.
Al-Sudani described the project as an "economic river that connects the East and the West."
The Iraqi premier said that the landmark project will also enhance the security and stability in the region.
The Development Road project encompasses railway and highway lines extending from the Grand Faw port in Basra through the cities of Diwaniyah, Najaf, Karbala, Baghdad, and Mosul to the Turkish border, aiming to provide access from the Turkish border to Mersin Port and onward to Europe via Istanbul by road.
Italian company PEG Infrastructure is responsible for the design of the route traversed by the project, which will enter Türkiye via Ovakoy after Mosul.
Connecting the Grand Faw Port to the Turkish border with a 1200-kilometer (746-mile) railway and highways, the 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) road will open a new gateway for regional trade.
Through the project, Iraq and Türkiye aim to reduce travel time between Asia and Europe and become transit hubs. Expecting to surpass the 67-berth Jebel Ali Port in Dubai, known as the largest container port in the Middle East, the Grand Faw Port with its capacity of 90 berths is planned to be completed by 2025.
The project is seen as an alternative option in possible regional conflicts or wars since China's Silk Road does not pass directly through Iraq.
Upon the completion of the project, it is estimated that shipments that currently take approximately 45 days from the Cape of Good Hope and around 35 days from the Red Sea could be completed in just 25 days.