Iran to Link Rail Network to Iraq

TEHRAN (Basirat): Iran is mulling over building a bridge over the Arvand River to link its national rail network to Iraq’s Southern city of Basra, Director General of the Railway and Technical Structures Department at the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI) Mohammad Mousavi said.

Iran is to build a movable railway bridge over the Arvand River as part of the 35-kilometer Shalamcheh-Basra railway project for linking Iran-Iraq railway network, Mousavi said in Khuzestan Province on Thursday while inspecting provincial railways.

Mousavi said Iraqi railway network will link Iranian cities of Khorramshahr and Abadan to Basra and continue up to Imam Khomeini Port.

He said the two sides are trying to check influence of sanctions on the project.

The project is said to cost 2.22 billion rials and once implemented will link Iranian railway to Syria through Iraq.

Earlier on Wednesday, Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian announced Iran’s preparedness to participate in projects to reconstruct Iraq after the devastating war launched by the US and its allies against the country.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to participate in reconstruction of Iraq, in particular, in infrastructural projects, Ardakanian told reporters upon arrival in the Iraqi capital city of Baghdad on Wednesday.

Meantime, Iraq's Minister of Electricity Luay al-Khateeb called for the development of relations with Iran, saying that Iraq is interested in cooperation with all countries, in particular, Iran.

He referred to the growing population in Iraq, and noted that Baghdad is thirsty for energy as a pre-condition to its development.

In relevant remarks earlier this month, Iraqi Minister of Construction and Housing Bangen Rekani had voiced his country's interest in Iranian firms' partnership in that country's reconstruction and development projects.

"My country welcomes the presence and participation of Iranian companies for reconstruction of different regions in Iraq," Rekani said in a meeting with Hassan Danayeefar, an advisor to Iranian first vice-president for economic relations with Iraq.

During the meeting, the two sides touched on the latest status of bilateral relations and topics of mutual interest, including ways to arrange for the payments of Iranian companies.

Danayeefar, for his part, said that the Iranian firms are ready to cooperate in the reconstruction process of Iraq which is damaged by the war on ISIL terrorists.