Envoy calls for completing connecting Iranian railway to Iraq

Iraj Masjedi, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Iraq, in a meeting with the Secretary of Council of Ministers in Iraq Hamid Naim Al-Ghazi on Monday said that the relevant organizations in the Islamic Republic of Iran have completed all preparations for the construction of a project to connect Iranian railway to Iraq.

It should be noted that Iraqi government agreed on May 27 to connect the railways to Islamic Republic of Iran’s railway via Basra-Shalamcheh line in southern Iraq, Masjedi highlighted.

Islamic Republic of Iran completed the plan of connecting Khorramshahr Railway to Shalamcheh Border, as long as 17km, in 2011, but since then a 32-kilometer section of Shalamcheh-Basra border to connect Iranian railway to Iraqi national railway network has not been completed by the Iraqi side.

With the completion of Shalamcheh-Basra border railway project, pilgrims from the two countries would be able to visit holy shrines through the railway fleet, he said, adding, “The project will expand trade exchanges and transit transport between the two sides.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Masjedi called on the Iraqi government to agree with dispatching a number of Iranian pilgrims to Iraq to take part in this year’s Arbaeen ceremonies.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed some of the joint development projects between the two countries of Iran and Iraq.

Secretary of Council of Ministers in Iraq Hamid Naim Al-Ghazi, for his part, emphasized the need for resolving water-related problems between concerned organizations of the two countries of Iran and Iraq as well as reaching a common understanding in the relevant issue.