Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Ankara

Iraq and Turkiye have completed the final draft of an agreement on transport infrastructure development, moving the deal toward government approval and formal signing, Iraq’s Transport Ministry said on Friday.

The agreement stems from a framework memorandum of understanding signed in late July by Iraqi Transport Minister Wahab Al-Hassani and Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.

According to the ministry, negotiators finalized the draft after four days of intensive talks in Baghdad that continued late into Thursday night.

The Iraqi delegation included representatives from the ministries of Transport, Oil, Finance and Foreign Affairs, the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI), the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO), and other technical bodies. Turkiye was represented by officials from its transport and infrastructure, energy and foreign ministries, as well as Ziraat Bank.

The talks focused on finalizing the agreement’s legal, technical and financial provisions, including implementation mechanisms, each side’s rights and responsibilities, and requirements for the projects covered.

The two sides agreed to submit the completed draft to their respective governments for final approval and completion of the required procedures. Once formally signed, the agreement would allow them to move toward contracting and implementation of the planned projects.