Baghdad: Today's newspapers in Baghdad have shifted their focus towards the significant developments around the inauguration of the Development Road Project and the demarcation of the maritime borders between Iraq and Kuwait. The media outlets have also highlighted Iraq's renewed invitation to Arab nations for the upcoming Baghdad Summit.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, published by the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate, the Ministry of Transport has earmarked 2029 as the completion date for the Development Road Project. Ministry spokesman Maitham Al-Safi revealed, "The Minister of Transport's meeting with international institutions and companies on the project discussed the investment opportunities available. It was a fruitful meeting that achieved outstanding results regarding this important project. The meeting also reviewed the actual progress rates achieved regarding financial issues and the designs for the Development Road Project."
He further added that the Minister of Transport has directed intensive meetings to be held with the Iraqi General Railway Company and the Higher Committee for the Development Road, alongside specialized consulting companies. The Iraqi government plans to inaugurate the Development Road project between 2029 and 2030, which will interlink other governorates with internal lines, enhancing internal rail traffic.
Al-Zawraa also reported that Transport Minister Razzaq Muhaibis Al-Saadawi, during his meeting with his Spanish counterpart Oscar Puente in Madrid, stated, "International companies are interested in participating in the Development Road, Faw Port, and railway projects." Al-Saadawi emphasized the promising investment opportunities available in Iraq's transportation environment, with Spanish companies already implementing important and strategic projects.
Meanwhile, Al-Zaman newspaper concentrated on the demarcation of the maritime border between Iraq and Kuwait. Major General Jamal Ibrahim al-Halbousi, an expert in border and maritime affairs, stated, "The Iraqi leadership's position is consistent with the aspirations of national experts, particularly the call to nullify the 2014 Maritime Regulation Agreement and its 2008 security protocols, which represents a step in the right direction."
Al-Halbousi added that a group of experts in the military, engineering, and legal fields are supporting the Iraqi leadership's position in this lawsuit. He highlighted the importance of not proceeding with the ratification of agreements impacting Iraq's maritime and border rights and proposed technical reviews of the Iraqi-Kuwaiti border maps to address discrepancies.
According to Al-Halbousi, it is essential to adopt the map of Iraqi maritime areas approved by the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2022 and to urge Kuwait to request the United Nations to withdraw Amiri Decree No. 317 of 2014, which disrupts the legal maritime balance.
Al-Sabah newspaper, published by the Iraqi Media Network, reported on Iraq's renewed invitation to Arab countries to participate at a high level in the summit scheduled for next month in Baghdad. The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Multilateral Affairs, Shorsh Khaled Saeed, asserted Iraq's commitment to international law and good neighborliness, emphasizing the need for enhanced Arab cooperation to tackle regional challenges.
Al-Sabah noted Iraq's support for resolving conflicts through dialogue and its firm stance on the Palestinian issue, calling for an end to aggression on Gaza and supporting Syria's efforts to rebuild and maintain unity.