Tuesday, 01.02.2222, the Research Center at Cihan University Duhok held a forum on its Google Meet platform entitled “The Great Port of Faw, Reality, and Challenges” hosted by the former Minister of Transport, Mr. Amer Abdul-Jabbar Ismail as a keynote speaker and with the participation of a large number of academic and political figures.

The duration of the session is three hours, during which the most important challenges and difficulties that stand in the way of such a huge strategic project were discussed, which greatly supports the Iraqi economy and enhances its position in the region through the passage of commercial goods through a railway link between FAO and Zakho, passing through Turkey and to European countries.

The session came out with a number of proposals and recommendations, including:

1- Expedite the implementation of the large port of Faw, preferably with Iraqi funds, to preserve the sovereignty of the country.

2- We suggest the participation of the general public in the public subscription to sell shares or sell credit bonds.

3- Public participation is the best remedy for corruption if the partner is being monitored.

4- Opening an investigation into the last contract with the Korean company and referring the corrupt and negligent to the judiciary.

5- Start contracting from now to complete the contract for the five berths.

6- Starting contracting from now to construct new berths on the second lane of the port using the easy-term loan method, which the Chinese competing company had previously made an offer in the previous contract.

7- Adopting a policy of diversification from investing in front of Chinese companies or any of the major industrial countries or others to establish industrial, agricultural or tourism projects.

8- Expedite the construction of the Iraq oil island and the Al-Faw refinery, as well as the rehabilitation of the Al-Amaya oil port.

9- Construction of new railways with high specifications between FAO and Turkey

10- Not to grant a rail connection with Kuwait or Iran

Because of the following risks:

📌 Iraq will lose the exclusive right of passage, and this right gives Iraq political and security benefits (not to mention the economic benefits), as Egypt currently enjoys because of the Suez Canal.

📌 If the railway profit is granted to Iran or Kuwait, we will lose Chinese investments for the belt project, and after Kuwait failed to obtain approval for a railway connection with Iraq, China directed an investment of 450 billion dollars to Iran, and it was granted

A rail link to Iran, Iraq becomes only a road, and not granting the connection will make China return to Iraq again for investments instead of loans that increase Iraq's debt burden and threaten its future, especially when the oil price drops.

📌 In the event that a rail link is granted to Iran or Kuwait, Iraq will receive the transit (traffic) tariff only

Whereas, if the Silk Road is confined to the port of Faw, Iraq will get the following:

A. Transit (traffic) fare

B. Wages and royalties of ships

C. Fees and royalties of marine agencies

D. Benefits of marine services provided to ships

T. Job opportunities for cargo and unloading workers

All these financial benefits and job opportunities belong to Iraq if we make the Silk Road exclusively through our ports.

📌 If a rail link is granted to Iran or Kuwait, it will make Iraqi merchants prefer to transport their goods through the ports of Kuwait or Iran due to its proximity and its view of the Arabian Gulf directly to avoid the passage of ships in a narrow sea channel to reach the ports of Iraq, not to mention the harassment of Kuwait in Khor Abdullah.

Accordingly, Iraq is required not to grant a rail connection to Kuwait or to Iran until after the completion of the great port of Faw and our ports reaching maximum capacity in a timely manner. The issue of granting a rail connection with Kuwait or with Iran can be discussed.