Tehran’s municipality is studying cooperation with Baghdad in constructing the city’s metro as well as in urban development and waste management.
Pirouz Hanachi, the Iranian capital’s mayor, announced that his municipality is ready to share the experiences and expertise with Baghdad officials in a bid to build metro, renovate the city’s urban infrastructure and help manage the residual.
He made the remark in a meeting with his counterpart Zekra Alwach in Baghdad on 18 April.
Tehran Mayor Pirouz Hanachi, right, holds talks with Naghdad Mayor Zekra Alwach in Baghdad on 18 April. IRNA
“We’ve had very good negotiations on cooperation in building metro lines, waste management, green space development, urban services and fire departments,” Hanachi said following talks with Alwach in the Iraqi capital.
“These negotiations will be followed up on during the Baghdad mayor’s future visit to Tehran,” he added.
"After calm has returned to Baghdad in recent months as well as new push in economic activities, there is good opportunity to offer services to the residents of the capital,” said Baghdad Governor Falah al-Jazairi, cited by Iran’s state news agency IRNA. “This means that we can enter in serious cooperation with friendly countries and cities, including Tehran,” he added.
Hanachi’s visit to Baghdad comes as Iran is trying to increase its presence in Iraq as the western neighbouring country is moving to open a new chapter through reconstruction.
“We want to benefit from cooperation and experiences of Iranian companies in investment, construction, health, energy, waste recycling and other sectors,” Al-Jazairi said.
Tehran mayor says the talks will enter more concrete phases after the holy Muslim month of Ramadan that will start next month. (6 May-5 June). The Islamic world’s activities tend to dwindle down during the fasting month.
The Iranian capital municipality is also planning to restore the ancient 3rd–6th-century Sasanian-era Persian monument Taq Kasra which means Iwan of Khosrow. The thousands-year-old structure, also known as Archway of Ctesiphon is located near the modern Iraqi town of Salman Pak.
Taq Kasra has lived through thousands of years of war, natural disasters and other phenomena but hasn’t been destroyed altogether. Earlier this year, an Iraqi lawmaker posted a video showing that parts of this magnificent monument has fallen, calling for efforts to restore it.
Watch video: Part of ancient Mesopotamian architecture Taq Kasra crumbles