Lebanese trucks allowed to cross Iraq to reach Gulf region: minister

BEIRUT, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon has been officially included on the transit lines that allow Lebanese trucks to go through Iraq to reach countries in the Gulf region, Lebanese Public Works and Transport Minister Ali Hamieh said Thursday.

"This inclusion constitutes an opportunity to open new windows of vital cooperation in promising sectors between Lebanon and Iraq by taking advantage of the distinguished geographical location of our two countries and adapting the positive political climates and geopolitical changes in the region and the world in the service of promoting growth and investment," Hamieh was quoted as saying by the National News Agency (NNA).

The first Lebanese truck crossed the Iraqi territory and reached Kuwait in mid May, according to the Lebanese authorities.

Hamieh's remarks came during his meeting with Iraqi Minister of Transport Razak Muhibis Al-Saadawi who arrived in Lebanon on Thursday to discuss bilateral ties and projects of common interests between the two countries, according to the NNA report.

Al-Saadawi said he discussed with Hamieh the potential of cooperation in land, sea, and air transport and the need to activate memorandums of understanding between the two countries.

Lebanon was invited to participate in the meetings of technical committees of the Development Road Conference in Baghdad next week, the Iraqi minister added.

The Development Road Project is a huge infrastructure project proposed by Iraq in May, which aims to link southern Iraq to the border with Türkiye, from where it will connect to the road networks in Europe.