Baghdad The Iranian Ambassador to Iraq, Muhammad Kadhem Al Sadiq, said today, Sunday, that there is a serious will between the two countries to launch the “Shalamcheh-Basra” railway.
IRNA reported, on Sunday evening, that Al-Sadiq’s statements came on the sidelines of the meeting of the Joint Iranian-Iraqi Economic Committee, which was held at Al-Rashid Hotel in Baghdad.
The Iranian diplomat confirmed that the five committees for economic cooperation between his country and Iraq are carrying out preliminary work at the present time, provided that these agreements will be completed tomorrow, Monday, and they will be signed immediately.
Al Sadiq said that during the recent visit of the Iraqi Prime Minister, Muhammad Shia’ al-Sudani, to Iran, the importance of launching the “Shalamcheh-Basra” railway was stressed, noting that the work of the two countries is proceeding seriously in this regard, so that the Iraqi Prime Minister has formed his own commission to take over this file.
“The two sides are now implementing their obligations regarding the railways, and we hope that these measures will bear fruit soon through the opening of the Shalamcheh-Basra railway,” he said.
It is noteworthy that an Iranian delegation consisting of 60 members, headed by the Minister of Economy and Finance, Ehsan Khandozi, and the representative of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is participating in meetings with their Iraqi counterparts at the head of 5 committees, in the meetings held in Baghdad.
It is noteworthy that these meetings will be held from 12-14 March in Baghdad, and that Atheer Daoud Salman, the Iraqi Minister of Trade, is the one who heads the corresponding Iraqi delegations and commissions in these meetings.
Director of the Iranian Railways Corporation, Saeed Rasouli, previously indicated in July 2019 that the project to link the Iranian cities of Shalamcheh and Basra in Iraq, with a length of 32 km, will start after about three months with implementation and funding from Iran, and will be completed by linking Shalamcheh with the port of Imam Khomeini and linking Basra with the port of Latakia.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency