Following the 2nd Ministerial Council Meeting of the Development Road Project, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu stated, “During the meeting, we discussed the progress of the preliminary design studies prepared for the railway and highway. We anticipate new partnerships for enhancing the railway infrastructure. We have reiterated our commitment to the project with the Memorandum of Understanding we signed.” Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu made statements after the 2nd Ministerial Council Meeting held under the host of Iraq within the scope of the Development Road Project. Minister Uraloğlu noted that the meeting was attended by Iraqi Minister of Transport Rezzak es-Sadavi, Mohamed al-Mazrouei, and Qatari Minister of Transport J. Saif Ahmed al-Sulaiti, saying, “We gathered for the second Ministerial Council meeting following the first one held in Istanbul in August. Expressing that diversifying routes, Turkey’s position facilitates access to new opportunities, Uraloğlu stated, “The Development Road Project, which will connect the Gulf countries through Turkey to Europe by passing through Iraq, offers us an opportunity to build a new world. Turkey and Iraq clearly demonstrated their commitment to working together for the implementation of the Development Road Project, aimed at constructing a road and railway transportation corridor extending from Basra to the Turkish border. With the awareness that the Development Road is a project of significant strategic importance not only for Turkey and Iraq but for the entire region, we are moving forward. Believing that our project, which will strengthen regional cooperation, enhance trade, and reinforce human relations, will turn our region into a new Silk Road with the participation of our other brotherly countries.””We Discussed the Progress of the Preliminary Design Studies Prepared for the Railway and Highway” In April, recalling that Turkey, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar signed a Memorandum of Understanding aiming at cooperation during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Baghdad, Uraloğlu said, “We established a Ministerial Council to solidify our cooperation based on the memorandum of understanding signed by the four countries. We met in Baghdad to advance the topics discussed during the first meeting. We discussed the progress of the preliminary design studies prepared for the railway and highway taking into account the results of the feasibility study. We understand the need to focus more on economic evaluations and the financing model.”“We Aim to Institutionalize and Make the Development Road Ministers Council More Permanent” Uraloğlu stated that the work within the Ministerial Council continues both at the technical and ministerial levels, saying, “We also discussed how we can improve the operation and structure of the Council. We aspire to institutionalize and make the Development Road Ministerial Council more permanent. It makes sense to consider additional connections with other countries within the work due to the project’s capability to serve the whole Gulf countries. Considering the other countries’ investment plans for the development of particularly the railway infrastructure in the Gulf region, we anticipate that new partnerships will be put forward in the future. With this approach, we have reaffirmed our commitment to this strategic project that will contribute significantly to the stability and prosperity of our entire region with the Memorandum of Understanding we signed.””We Decided to Strengthen Collaboration for Carrying Out All Tasks Related to the Development Road Project” Minister Uraloğlu expressed that they reconfirmed the strong ties established among the member states on the basis of strategic partnership, brotherhood, mutual respect, and trust. Uraloğlu pointed out that countries willing to join the Development Road Project, subject to the approval of the participating countries, could participate, saying, “We decided to strengthen collaboration to carry out all tasks related to the Development Road Project, including studies, technical and engineering consultations, and other relevant needs.”We Will Work to Establish Collaboration to Offer Effective Alternatives in Freight and Passenger Transportation” Uraloğlu stated that they reached an agreement to establish the Development Road as an attractive international corridor for land transportation, creating a new, effective, and competitive alternative that increases trade and facilitates movement procedures among the participating countries. He stated, “We will work to facilitate joint collaboration among the participating countries to integrate transportation networks and offer effective and economic alternatives in freight and passenger transportation.” Minister Uraloğlu also informed that they agreed to assess the cooperation opportunities with international organizations such as the World Bank to benefit from their expertise and explore financing options for participation in the Development Road Project. “Goals and Expectations Were Discussed” Providing information about the pre-meeting discussions, Minister Uraloğlu said, “Prior to the Council meeting, we had a special meeting with Iraqi Minister of Transport Rezzak es-Sadavi to discuss our mutual goals and expectations for the project. Subsequently, we met with the Minister of Energy and Infrastructure of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed al-Mazrouei, and the Minister of Transport of Qatar, Saif Ahmed al-Sulaiti, to thoroughly examine how we could deepen our regional cooperation.”