Baghdad: The chairman of the Border Ports Commission (BPC), Omar Adnan Al-Waeli, announced on Tuesday Iraq’s readiness to enhance trade connectivity by allocating transit lanes at border crossings that meet international standards. This move comes as part of a broader effort to streamline the movement of goods between Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.

According to Iraqi News Agency, Al-Waeli welcomed a high-level Turkish delegation led by Barak Akan, director general for European Union affairs and foreign relations at the Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. The discussions at the meeting centered on implementing the Development Road project, which aims to boost transit traffic and trade exchanges between Iraq and Turkey. This initiative follows an agreement signed during Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi’s recent visit to Turkey, focused on enhancing regional connectivity and developing transport and trade links.

Both parties explored mechanisms to facilitate the movement of goods and transit trucks through Iraq’s border crossings. They discussed the designation of Rabia, Al-Waleed, and Al-Qaim crossings as primary corridors within the transport network connecting Turkey and Europe with the Middle East and Gulf countries via Iraq. Al-Waeli assured the BPC’s commitment to providing necessary facilities for the smooth movement of goods, emphasizing Iraq’s potential as a regional logistics hub and a crucial link between Turkey and Gulf countries.

The Development Road project is a priority for the prime minister, aiming to strengthen connectivity with Turkey and expand cooperation across land, sea, and air crossings. Al-Waeli highlighted the importance of activating the Development Road and adopting the TIR system as essential strategies for facilitating international transport and bolstering economic ties between Iraq, Turkey, and other regional countries.

The Turkish delegation expressed its willingness to increase the number of transit trucks passing through Iraq to 1 million annually, while ensuring the necessary infrastructure and support to achieve this goal. They also mentioned Turkish-Saudi collaborations to promote transit traffic through Iraq, which would enhance trade and benefit the national economy.

In a related development, Al-Waeli conducted a field visit to the Rabia border crossing in Nineveh province to inspect operations and discuss measures to expand commercial exchange facilities. The visit aimed to smoothen the entry of goods from Syria and Turkey and ensure their efficient movement through the crossing.

Furthermore, Al-Waeli proposed a trilateral meeting involving Iraq, Syria, and Turkey to establish a unified mechanism for regulating goods movement and standardizing transit and trade procedures. This initiative seeks to boost regional trade and serve the shared economic interests of these nations.