TEHRAN - Iran, Iraq and Syria held a tripartite meeting on Monday in Tehran for discussing expansion of transportation cooperation among the three countries, IRNA reported.

According to the Head of Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (known as RAI) Saied Rasouli, development of rail transport, increasing transit, development of exports and imports, and implementation of the Shalamcheh-Basra railway were among the topics discussed in the meeting.

In the meeting, Rasouli expressed Iran’s readiness for starting the construction operations of Shalamcheh-Basra railway, urging the Iraqi side to determine and introduce a representative company.

On the sidelines of the event, Rasouli told the press that a comprehensive tripartite document on rail transportation cooperation among the three countries was presented at the meeting, which was mainly focused on connecting the three sides through Shalamcheh-Basra railway.

The official further noted that establishing a railway link and creating transit corridors between the three countries are called for by high-ranking officials from all three sides.

In order to complete the Shalamcheh-Basra railroad route, the 17-kilometer Khorramshahr-Shalamcheh railway project was completed in 2011 to connect the Iranian railways to Iraq, however the Shalamcheh-Basra part is still unfinished and Iran is waiting for the Iraqi side to take necessary measures in this regard.

As reported, during the meeting, Iran and Iraq agreed on commencing the construction operations of the Shalamcheh-Basra railway project within the next three months.
Islamic Republic of Iran’s Mostazafan Foundation is going to fund the project as the Iranian party of the agreement.

Iran has close political and economic ties with both Iraq and Syria and the economic relations among the three nations have significantly developed in the past few years.

EF/MA