ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani on Thursday ordered the oil ministry to start studying the prospect of exporting the country’s oil and gas through the Development Road, a project aimed at connecting Asia to Europe. Sudani chaired a meeting of the Higher Committee for the Development Road Project on Thursday, attended by several senior members of his cabinet. “The meeting included a discussion on the service corridor study for the project, which involves the route for fiber optic cables, oil and gas pipelines, and electricity and renewable energy transmission lines,” read a statement from Sudani’s office. Sudani also ordered the oil ministry to “prepare a consultancy study to strategically link the ministry's projects with the use of the Development Road for transporting and exporting oil and gas according to the investment and production map,” added the statement. The Development Road project, which stretches from southern Iraq to the border with Turkey, aims to connect the Persian Gulf with Turkey and significantly enhance Iraq’s geopolitical stance and generate economic gains for Baghdad. When completed, the project will also shorten the travel time between Asia and Europe. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Baghdad last month, signing 24 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Iraqi government, including an agreement to launch the Development Road. In a joint press conference following his meeting with Erdogan, Sudani said that the MoUs were signed in different sectors, describing them as a “roadmap for sustainable cooperation” on all aspects. The key agreements that emerged from the meeting are those related to the Development Road, security, and water issues.
