Iraqi parliament supports the completion of Al-Faw Grand Port

Shafaq News / The Parliamentary Services and Reconstruction Committee expressed, on Sunday, its support for the completion of the Al-Faw grand port project and highlighted the positive steps reached by the Ministry of Transport in this regard.

The head of the committee, Walid al-Sahlani, said in a press conference held at the parliament building with the participation of the committee’s MPs and attended by the Shafaq News Agency reporter, "The committee strongly supports the completion of the Al-Faw grand port project, which is one of the most important projects that will move the economic wheel".

He said, "the committee attended a meeting at the Ministry of Transport in the presence of the agents, the director-general of the ports and the company to be signed with, which is Daewoo, and we noticed positive steps that the ministry has reached". 

"There are some divergent views between the ministry and the company about the period of completion of the project and prices. However, there are solutions and we support the completion of the project", he continued, "there will be follow-up by the committee to sign the contract and complete the project".

Sahlani added, "The port of Al-Faw represents the paradigm shift for the government to start the first stage represented by the establishment of five docks and the tunnel, as well as the construction of the dry canal, which is one of the most important outlets to support economic development in Iraq". 

The minister officially confirmed that there is no formal agreement with Kuwait regarding the railways linking. Rather, there are procedures and understandings with Kuwait and it will take place in the coming days through a technical committee.

The news of the Al-Faw port, in southern Iraq, had sparked a great controversy on social media and in governmental bodies. Iraqi government authorities recently refuted reports of the establishment of Al-Faw port according to weak specifications and few areas, for the benefit of other countries. In this regard, Parliament Speaker, Muhammad al-Halbousi, stressed during his visit to Kuwait that the construction of the "Grand" port will be in accordance with "international standards" and will change the map of international maritime transport.