Iraq announces multi-billion dollar rail and road plan

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq on Saturday announced a multi-billion dollar road and rail project stretching from its southern shores to the border with Turkey in the north. The current plan bypasses the Kurdistan Region.

The announcement was made at a “Development Road” conference in Baghdad with the participation of representatives from 10 regional countries. The planned route will begin at al-Faw port and pass through 10 provinces on its way to the Fishkhabur border crossing with Turkey.

“The road is a pure Iraqi road extending from al-Faw port to Fishkhabur,” Yusuf al-Kaabi, general director of Iraqi railways, told Rudaw.

The route will connect Iraq to the European Union through Turkey and there is no plan to build railroad connections to other neighbouring countries for at least 10 years, according to Kaabi.

The project will be an economic boost to the provinces it passes through and will create over 100,000 jobs for Iraqi youth, Shadha Radhi, an official from the ministry of transportation, told Iraqi state media.

Kaabi said there are plans to eventually connect all of Iraq’s 18 provinces, including the Kurdistan Region, but government spokesperson Basem al-Awadi told Rudaw the current project bypasses Kurdistan for “purely technical reasons.”

“We wished the road could pass through Kurdistan Region, but as you know Kurdistan Region consists of mountains and valleys,” said Awadi, pointing out that Kurdistan Region’s topography was not suitable for the first stage of the project.

“When the plans were made, the designers preferred to go for the plains in Mosul,” he said.

Kurdistan Region’s Minister of Transportation Ano Abdoka tweeted in celebration of the announcement. He affirmed the Kurdistan Region’s support for the construction of railroads and highways serving all of Iraq, but warned against “discrimination.”

“Just like without Faw and Basra there is no Development Road, similarly there will be no Development Road without Kurdistan,” Abdoka wrote.

Iraq announces multi-billion dollar rail and road plan

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