Turkmenistan, Afghanistan stress int’l resonance over TAPI gas project

Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, April 5 / Trend H. Hasanov / Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Afghan minister of mines Wahidullah Shahrani at a meeting in Ashgabat stressed the international resonance and interest of many countries and companies willing to participate in the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) project implementation, the Turkmen government said today. "The interaction in the strategic fuel-energy sector, and especially practical implementation of the largest transnational Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline construction project initiated by Turkmen side was also discussed," the message said. It was stressed that this large-scale project even at the stage of development has caused great resonance and interest of many foreign countries and companies that have expressed willingness to participate in its implementation. Its implementation will be of special importance for the region. The sides exchanged views on the prospects of further expanding the inter-state cooperation, which has recently obtained a new quality and dynamics of its development in a number of priority areas, including political, economic, cultural-humanitarian spheres. Afghan minister conveyed President Karzai's greetings, stressing that the leadership of his country and people are grateful to Turkmenistan for its policy of peace and constructive approaches to solve the Afghan problem, reflected in relevant international initiatives aimed at resolving the situation in Afghanistan, its economic revival. Officially Ashgabat supplies electricity to Afghanistan on a preferential basis and plans to expand cooperation in the transport-cargo sector. The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project is considered a key project. The length of the pipeline may be 1,735 kilometres. Under the project, the gas pipeline should stretch from the Turkmen fields to the village of Fazilka in India on the border of Pakistan. The gas pipeline's designed capacity is 33 billion cubic meters of gas per year. At this stage the principle of forming an international consortium is under discussion and the project financing issue is being resolved Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at agency@trend.az