Baghdad: A new trade gateway between Iraq and Turkey is set to enhance Nineveh’s economic role by establishing a border project that promises to boost the region’s trade dynamics. The Iraqi-Turkish agreement is advancing towards a new border crossing in the Fish Khabur area via the Tal Afar district, aimed at expanding trade exchanges and opening new routes for the transport of goods between the two nations.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, Nineveh Provincial Council member Mohammed Ahris stated that the agreement between the Iraqi and Turkish governments is a crucial step towards developing the trade sector and border crossings. He emphasized that the new crossing, once operational, will provide an additional boost to the movement of goods and enhance commercial activity in both the province and Iraq as a whole.
Ahris explained that the project’s significance extends beyond establishing a new border crossing; it is also linked to Nineveh’s strategic location near trade and transportation routes. Strengthening the Rabia crossing with another crossing will increase the flexibility of goods movement and expand available options for commercial activity, which will positively impact the province’s economic activity.
He highlighted that the anticipated crossing’s connection to the Development Road project adds a broader economic dimension, considering its importance for transportation and trade. Linking it to border crossings can contribute to strengthening Iraq’s role as a trade corridor connecting markets and attracting transportation and investment.
According to Ahris, the implementation of the agreement in the coming phase will drive the development of infrastructure and services related to transportation and trade in Nineveh, creating new job opportunities and boosting employment. The workforce in the transportation, services, construction, and supporting sectors will be enhanced, along with stimulating investment activity.
Provincial Council member Ahris believes that revitalizing trade through Nineveh can positively impact reconstruction and development projects by increasing economic activity and creating a broader environment for the private sector and projects related to the movement of goods, transportation, and logistics.
Nineveh aims to capitalize on this step to leverage its geographical location into an economic asset, thereby enhancing trade and increasing investment and employment opportunities. This project, alongside the development road and existing border crossings, is envisioned as part of a broader strategy to strengthen Iraq’s economic position in the region.