Anis Nakkash: Regional Future Depends on Economic Entwine
Political Analyst and Coordinator of Aman Network for Strategic Studies and Research Anis Nakkash confirmed that the region has been living for more than three years in a state of economic entwine on more than one level.
In this context, he noted that Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria are considered to be the major artery of this entwine, and so are the relations between Lebanon and Jordan due to some economic agreements.
As for the most significant areas of economic cooperation, Nakkash listed them as follows:
First: Linking Iran, Iraq, and Syria via Trains
Second: Exchanging in areas of electricity, gas, and oil where the energy source is transported from Iran to Iraq, and then through Syria to Europe. Analyst Nakkash stated in this regard that this project is currently under advisory examination, and will be entered into force soon. At the time being, Turkey is providing itself 40% of its gas needs from Iran, while Syria imports 20 thousand barrels of gas from Iraq on a daily basis.
Third: Sealing the agreement of a free trade zone between Iran and Syria, and there are talks about a possible similar agreement between Iran and Iraq on one hand, and between Iraq and Syria on another hand. The aim behind this step is to create an open-up free zone without paying any customs, and it includes the exchange of different commodities.
On this level, Coordinator of Aman Network for Strategic Studies and Research expected that the region would witness a free zone that might be similar to that of Europe. Nakkash further expected that this free zone would be supported by infrastructure, including roads and bridges; knowing that trade exchange between Turkey and Syria reached $4 billion, and that was before the recent crisis, while the trade exchange between Iran and Turkey reached $ 20 billion.
Moreover, Anis Nakkash referred that the "recent events in the region, and especially what's taking place in Syria, has led to the freeze of some agreements especially the Turkish-Iraqi and Turkish-Syrian".
Commenting on the post-US withdrawal from Iraq period, and its effects on the economic situation in the region, Nakkash iterated that best of what has been enhanced due to this withdrawal was paving the way for Iraqi relations with Iran and Syria. This contributed to enhancing the economic and trade movement in the region.
He added that Iran has invited some Gulf countries to join this network and contribute in filling the gap caused by the US withdrawal. Also, after the US withdrawal, dialogue was launched, seeking economic and political potentials for the region; however the Gulf countries, led by Saudi Arabia, did not cooperation in this regard, Nakkash added.
Furthermore, Nakkash seemed open about the tension over the economic agreements between Iran, Syria, and Iraq on one hand, and Turkey on another hand especially that Iran chose Syria over Turkey to construct the gas pipeline going towards Iraq, and the Mediterranean.
This might have caused Turkey to become upset, which some believe was one of the reasons behind the current Turkish crisis with Syria.
Source: Al Intiqad Online Newspaper, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org team
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