ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Kurdistan Region’s Transportation and Communications Minister Ano Abdoka on Friday dismissed claims and media reports that an agreement has been reached between Erbil and Baghdad for the inclusion of the Kurdish Region’s “territory” in the Development Road project.
 
The development road project is a multi-billion-dollar project that aims to stretch across the entirety of Iraq, connecting the Grand Faw Port in southern Iraq to the Turkish border, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and enhancing Iraq’s geopolitical status in the process.

“In recent days, statements have been published and attributed to officials in the federal government, claiming that an agreement has been reached between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Federal Government of Iraq regarding the final plan for the Development Road Project (railway and international highway) within the Kurdistan Region’s territory and geography… We would like to inform the Kurdistan and Iraqi public that these statements are incorrect and do not reflect the truth,” Abdoka wrote on X on Friday.
 
Abdoka accused Baghdad of unilaterally withdrawing from talks between the two sides regarding reaching “a final decision” for the project to pass through the Kurdistan Region despite signing “a joint protocol” and agreeing to move forward with cooperation on the project.

According to the bilateral agreement, the protocol was to be presented to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani and Masrour Barzani, prime minister of the Kurdistan Region, “for final unanimous approval.”
 
He went on to detail, “However, only hours after the protocol was signed, our Ministry noted with concern that the Federal Ministry of Transport delegation did not participate in the scheduled field visit to the proposed route for the railway and highway through and around the Kurdistan Region.”
 
“Even more concerning was what happened three days after the signing: instead of submitting the protocol to the Federal Prime Minister, the Iraqi Ministry of Transport abruptly revoked it.”

Kurdish leaders have previously demanded that Baghdad include the Kurdistan Region in the project but have not seen progress to that end.
 
Speaking at the 7th Baghdad International Dialogue on February 22, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani hailed the development road project as a “historic step” towards building a more stable and prosperous Iraq, adding that it provides the country with an opportunity to become a key player in the region’s economy and help connect the Gulf to international markets.
 
Barzani stressed that the Development Road must be a “national Iraqi project” that incorporates all parts and components of Iraq “without discrimination.”
 
Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Masrour Barzani has also echoed the sentiment that the Road Development project would serve Iraqis better if it were to pass through the Kurdistan Region’s provinces.

“We believe it is better that it passes through Zakho to Mosul then to Erbil and Kirkuk and later to Baghdad,” Prime Minister Barzani said during a climate conference in Erbil in May 2024.
 
Iraq sees the Development Road as a crucial connection bridging the industrially vibrant nations of Asia with the technologically advanced, economically robust, and agriculturally prosperous countries of Europe.
 
The development road is set to encompass railways, roads, and cities, aiming to shorten the travel time between Europe and Asia, in line with Iraq’s vision for the project. The initial investment is estimated at $17 billion, with projected annual profits reaching approximately $5 billion.
 
The architectural plan for the project is structured in three phases, with phase one projected to be completed by 2028, while the second and third phases are expected to finish in 2033 and 2050, respectively.