Baghdad: The Director of the Iraqi Republic Railways Company, affiliated with the Ministry of Transport, met on Tuesday with a specialised delegation from Turkey to discuss the implementation of the framework memorandum of understanding signed by Iraqi Minister of Transport Wahab al-Hassani and his Turkish counterpart earlier this month. The memorandum concerns the development of transport infrastructure in Iraq.

According to Iraqi News Agency, a statement from the Ministry of Transport indicated that “the Iraqi Republic Railways Company received a specialized delegation from Turkey to discuss the implementation of the framework memorandum of understanding signed by Iraqi Minister of Transport Wahab al-Hassani and his Turkish counterpart earlier this month. The memorandum concerns the development of transport infrastructure in Iraq.”

The statement further explained that “the Director of the Iraqi Republic Railways Company, Mohammed Habib Jabr, held a joint meeting with the Turkish delegation, headed by Burak Aykan, Director General for EU Affairs and Foreign Relations at the Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.”

The meeting, which was also attended by directors of relevant departments within the company, focused on ways to activate the memorandum of understanding and move it to practical, implementable stages.

‘Both sides emphasized priority files, foremost among them the (Strategic Development Road Project) and prospects for cooperation in implementing the railway line after the completion of the design phases, as well as confirmations of continued coordination between the two sides and the completion of the technical, financial and legal requirements necessary to implement the projects covered by the memorandum, in a way that ensures the achievement of the common interests of the two countries,’ according to the statement.