Iraq denies veto on Development Road partners as ministry says China seeks to join

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Transport Ministry denied Thursday that any country is being blocked from joining the Development Road project, saying China has sought participation in the corridor as construction milestones advanced across the southern end of the route.

“There is no veto on any country entering this project in a manner consistent with Iraq’s interests and in accordance with the constitution and applicable laws,” ministry spokesperson Maytham al-Safi told the state news agency.

Al-Safi said China has approached the ministry about joining the project “whether at the level of participation or implementation,” and that the Chinese ambassador has visited to review details. The claim has not been independently confirmed by Beijing.

Al-Safi said final designs have reached 78 percent completion for the land route and 88 percent for the railway line, with 2031 set as the target for completing the first phase, 2038 for the second phase and 2050 for full capacity.

At the Grand Faw Port, five berths were completed and handed over to the Iraqi government in 2024. The container yard has surpassed 98 percent completion, the navigation channel was finalized in 2025, and 62 percent of the road linking Faw Port is complete. The International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities confirmed the new port infrastructure meets international maritime safety standards after a representative sailed through Khor Abdullah using updated navigational maps later submitted to the United Nations.

A quadrilateral memorandum of understanding includes Iraq, Turkey, Qatar and the UAE, with Oman having requested to join. Turkey, described as the project’s second most important station after Iraq, is part of a four-country council with Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria to connect the corridor to Europe. Turkish officials have projected potential annual economic returns of up to $50 billion for Turkey.

Al-Safi said the project aims to diversify Iraq’s economy beyond oil, estimating it will create more than 100,000 direct jobs and about 1.6 million indirect jobs, alongside a large economic zone and industrial city in Faw.

The northern leg of the corridor remains politically sensitive. The proposed route must pass through or near the Kurdistan Region before reaching Turkey, and KRG officials have insisted the project include Kurdish territory. Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has stressed that the Kurdistan Region and all Iraqi components “need to benefit” from the project, while Kurdish transport officials say the corridor cannot effectively reach Turkey without crossing the region. Negotiations between Erbil and Baghdad over routing, revenue and administrative authority are ongoing.