Turkmenistan, Pakistan interested in implementation of TAPI project
By Aynur Jafarova
Turkmenistan and Pakistan are interested in the implementation of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.
These remarks were made at the fourth meeting of the Turkmen-Pakistani Intergovernmental Commission held in Islamabad last week.
The sides discussed relevant issues of further development of interstate cooperation in trade and economic fields, and the implementation of the bilateral agreements reached earlier.
The meeting ended with the signing of a protocol.
The TAPI project with the proposed capacity of 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year will extend from Galkynysh field in Turkmenistan through the Afghan cities of Herat and Kandahar to its final point at a settlement on the Pakistani-Indian border.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) serves as a transactional advisor on TAPI gas pipeline project. Its main task is to develop the project company TAPI Ltd., as well as to search for the leader of the consortium to implement one of the largest energy projects in the vast Asian space.
Ashgabat has previously stressed that the construction of the TAPI should begin in 2015.
Experts believe that TAPI is not only a regional project envisaging the transportation of Turkmen gas, but also a global project. The implementation of the project will strengthen Turkmenistan's independence, and its gas supplies to world markets will increase significantly.
The project is an opportunity to contribute to the stabilization of Afghanistan, and its implementation could contribute to the rehabilitation process in the post-war country as it will create job opportunities and provide Afghanistan with guaranteed income from the transit.