Iraq Pledges Deeper Economic Ties with GCC on 43rd Anniversary

Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday emphasized its commitment to expanding cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to mark the organization’s 43rd anniversary. The statement identified regional stability and economic integration as the primary pillars for future bilateral relations between Baghdad and the six-member bloc. Infrastructure and Economic Integration The Iraqi government is prioritizing large-scale infrastructure projects designed to link its economy with Gulf markets. Central to this strategy is the $17 billion "Development Road" project, which aims to connect Iraq’s Grand Faw Port in Basra to Europe via Turkey. Baghdad views this corridor as a strategic logistics hub that will facilitate the transit of Gulf goods and energy exports to international markets. Energy security remains a key focus of the partnership. Iraq and the GCC Interconnection Authority (GCCIA) are currently advancing a project to link Iraq’s southern power grid with the Gulf network. The first phase involves the construction of a transmission line from Kuwait’s Al-Wafra station to provide Iraq with an initial 500MW of electricity, addressing chronic domestic energy shortages.…