[Iraq launches $17 billion 'Road to Development' plan] The "road to development" plan launched by Iraq was jointly signed by Türkiye, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and will invest 17 billion dollars to build a transportation corridor from Port Fao to Türkiye. The annual railway capacity of this project is expected to reach 3.5 million containers and 22 million tons of bulk cargo. After the first phase is completed in 2028, the annual revenue will be about 4 billion US dollars, which is expected to drive an annual increase of 10% to 15% in Middle East trade. The plan includes 1190km highway and double track railway, starting from Fao Port in the south and connecting with Türkiye network in the north. Fao Port is constructed by Daewoo of South Korea and is expected to become the largest container port in the Middle East after completion in 2025. At present, the project is still in the design stage, and the route planning has sparked controversy due to avoiding the Kurdish region. Financing mainly relies on the Iraqi budget, and external investment has not yet been implemented. The analysis points out that the project faces challenges such as corruption, administrative efficiency, and regional homogenization competition, but its potential to connect Asia and Europe still attracts attention. If smoothly promoted, it will become a crucial step for Iraq's economic transformation and regional connectivity. Editor/Yang Beihua

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• 2026.04.01 11:10
• [Gansu releases new energy+action plan]
• On March 31, 2026, Gansu Province released the Implementation Plan for New Energy+Action, which specifies that by 2030, the installed capacity of new energy will reach 160 million kilowatts, and an additional 80 million kilowatts will be added during the 15th Five Year Plan period. Ten major actions, including multi energy complementarity, green parks, and green hydrogen corridors, will be deployed to promote the integration of coal and new energy, build zero carbon parks, and create the Hexi Green Hydrogen Corridor.Editor/Gao Xue

• 2026.04.01 11:07
• [Chinese company to build solar power plant in Azerbaijan]
• Azerbaijan's Alat Free Economic Zone has provided 138 hectares of land to China's SunSync company, of which 23 hectares will be used for the construction of a solar panel production line. The product will be used for bidding within the region and nationwide, and the generated green electricity can be sold to enterprises within the region. The wind turbine manufacturing project is also underway.Editor/Gao Xue