Setting sights on ...
The Iran-Iraq border is such that transportation routes can be established along its length because people inhabit the surrounding areas, thus providing grounds for trade.
Moreover, familial, tribal, and clan ties have remained intact even during the war between the two countries and still exist on both sides of the border. After Saddam’s regime’s fall, the very same ties served as the underlying structure of trade between the two nations.
Therefore, I advise President Pezeshkian to take on these few essential tasks during his trip to Iraq:
First, remove the obstacles hindering the implementation of agreements signed between the two countries.
Second, ensure that his minister of roads and urban development joins the Iranian entourage to set up a permanent joint working group with Iraq. The initial, primary task of this group could be to plan for the construction of four railway lines between the two countries, namely Shalamcheh-Basra, Ilam-Mehran-Karbala-Najaf, Tehran-Kermanshah-Khosravi-Baghdad, and Hamadan-Sanandaj- Iraqi Kurdistan.
If such a working group is formed, investors from both countries will enthusiastically participate in these profitable projects.
At the end of the day, one of the sticking points in the way of Tehran-Baghdad trade relations, despite all the good vibes and political ties, is the absence of these joint permanent working groups. I hope that President Pezeshkian’s trip will resolve this issue.
The third important task that the President can undertake in Iraq is a visit to the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Some mistakes or misjudgments in the past few years have led to mutual resentment and negatively impacted economic and political relations between Iran and the Kurdistan
Region.
Taking a trip to the Kurdistan Region and holding meetings between Pezeshkian and its officials could dissipate these resentments and pave the way for enhanced relations and cooperation. Even now, a significant portion of Iran’s trade is with the Kurdistan Region, which has the potential to grow substantially.
Page 1