ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Development Road has Erbil’s “complete support,” President Nechirvan Barzani said in Baghdad on Saturday, despite objections that it bypasses the Kurdistan Region.
Calling the ambitious railway and highway network designed to link the Persian Gulf to Europe via Turkey and position Iraq as a major regional trade corridor a “historic step toward a more stable and prosperous Iraq, ”Barzani said that “in the Kurdistan Region, we believe that a politically and economically stable Iraq is a national interest.”
He made his comments in a speech at the Baghdad International Dialogue. He arrived in the Iraqi capital on Saturday morning to participate in the two-day event, held under the slogan “Communication for Development and Regional Stability.” The conference has drawn key officials, including Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani and Mohamed al-Hassan, the acting head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).
In his address, Barzani emphasized that the Kurdistan Region views Iraq’s stability as a shared national interest.
“We hope [the Development Road project] will serve as a true model of partnership among Iraqis of all ethnicities, religions, and sects,” he said, adding that Iraq’s diversity is a “source of strength.”
The president also commended Sudani for spearheading the initiative, stating, “I want to reiterate appreciation to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani for [this project] and all the efforts he has made in this direction.”
He said the prime minister has demonstrated Iraq’s potential to be “a bridge for dialogue rather than an arena for conflict.”
“It is true that we have challenges … Our victory lies in our ability to manage diversity, our internal differences, and strengthening partnership spirit, in addition to premising rules for good governance, and consolidating political and economic stability for Iraq, ” he added.
On the sidelines of the conference, Barzani met with the Iraqi prime minister. “We had a productive discussion this morning in Baghdad on recent developments in the country, stability of the wider region, and other pressing issues,” he wrote on X.
The Development Road project is being advertised as something that will reshape Iraq’s economy, but it has been a source of friction between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The KRG has been unhappy that no Kurdistan Region highways or rail links are included in the main corridor and is worried it will not benefit economically.
There are also concerns that the centralization of trade routes through federal territories might endanger the Kurdistan Region’s authority over cross-border trade and customs excise. The KRG has requested Baghdad adjust the route to include Kurdistan Region’s infrastructure, saying it will boost the success of the project.