Baghdad: The Ministry of Transport on Friday completed the second meeting with the Turkish side, held on Thursday, with the participation of representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Oil and Finance, the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO), as well as representatives of Trkiye’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and the Turkish ministries of Energy and Natural Resources and Foreign Affairs: The ministry said in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that ‘the meeting involved an exchange of views on a number of measures paving the way for the conversion of the framework memorandum of understanding signed between Iraq and Trkiye, which was signed by Transport Minister Wahab Al-Hassani with the Turkish side during the government delegation’s visit to Trkiye at the end of last month, into an implementable agreement, following the completion of the phase of submitting the minutes of the consultative meetings, which represent a key component of this stage.’
According to Iraqi News Agency, Ahmed Razzaq Mayeh, Director of the Legal Department at the Ministry of Transport, who chaired the meeting, said that ‘the two sides discussed the use of natural resources to establish the railway line as part of the Development Road project, as well as the establishment and management mechanisms of the project’s funded account and project management, in addition to issues related to the oil sector.’
Mayeh explained that ‘the talks represent an exchange of information, proposals and views between the two sides,’ noting that they ‘will undergo further refinement and organization in coordination with the relevant authorities in Iraq and Trkiye, leading to the drafting of a future agreement concerning the implementation of the strategic project and the framework for cooperation between the two countries.’
He pointed out that ‘completing these procedures represents a preparatory step toward moving from the framework memorandum of understanding to an implementable agreement, supporting progress in the implementation of the Development Road project.’