Iraqi and Turkish government officials held discussions on the $17 billion Development Road project, a railway and road corridor stretching 1,200 kilometres from South Iraq towards the border with Turkey, an official statement said.

Iraq's Ministry of Transport said in a statement that the discussions focused on enhancing cooperation between the two countries to implement this project and technical elements of the linking point between the two countries at Fishkhabour border crossing.

The Ministry said Najaf, Dhi Qar, Diwaniyah and Muthanna governorates are nearing completion of the surveys for the rail and road placements and alignments, noting that the soil investigation has been completed for 1,000 km, while the initial designs have been completed for 600 km of the railway and 300 km for the highway.

The Development Road project is directly supervised by the Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani, and by the Minister of Transport, Razzaq Muhaibas Al-Saadawi, the ministry’s statement added.

(Writing by Majda Muhsen; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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