TEHRAN – The Deputy Ministry of Roads and Urban Development for Planning and Managing Resources’ Affairs Amir Mahmoud Ghaffari said on Sunday that Iranian and Iraqi officials are in direct talks for the completion of construction operation of Shalamcheh-Basra Railway.
Ghaffari announced that the two sides agreed with the start of construction operation of the railway as soon as possible.
For his part, Iraqi Minister of Transport, Nasser Hussein Bandar Al-Shibli said that the two sides agreed for the immediate and official submitting the content of letter penned by the Iranian Ministry of Roads and Urban Development as a proposal confirmed and supported by the Iraqi Ministry of Transport with the aim of delegating the project to the company introduced by the Iranian side.
Likewise, the two sides agreed to take effective measures in the field of equipping workshop and commencing the preliminary steps such as conducting cartography and mapping operations, etc. at borders of the two countries of Iran and Iraq.
Shalamcheh-Basra line, as long as 32km, can be one of the bottlenecks completing the Silk Road.