Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani held a phone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday on bilateral ties and road construction linking the two countries.

A statement issued by his office said in the phone talk, al-Sudani stressed "Iraq's keenness to build regional and international partnerships that contribute to the national economic development of brotherly and friendly countries."

For his part, Erdogan expressed the readiness of Turkish companies to work on the Development Road Project, a transportation corridor stretching from the Iraqi southern province of Basra to the Turkish border, to serve the interest of the region's peoples.

The project is a massive infrastructure project proposed by the Iraqi government in May. It aims to link southern Iraq to the border with Türkiye, from where it will connect to European rail and road networks. 

(Cover: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani (R) during an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, March 21, 2023. /CFP)