TAPI officials mull practical implementation of project
By Aynur Jafarova
The practical implementation of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project was high on the agenda of talks held between the top officials of the participant countries of the project.
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, who attended the meeting of the heads of states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), called for joint efforts in practical implementation of the TAPI project with his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai, local media reported on September 13.
At a meeting held between Berdymukhamedov and Sartaj Aziz, the advisor to the prime minister of Pakistan on National Security and Foreign Affairs, special attention was paid to the implementation of the TAPI project, which aims to make a significant contribution to the sustainable socio-economic development of the Asian region and contribute to strengthening of the global energy security.
The Pakistani side expressed full support for this ambitious project initiated by Turkmenistan and designed to be 'a bridge of friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation in the region'.
Berdymukhamedov and Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj also paid special attention to the TAPI project.
The Indian foreign minister noted the significant progress made in promotion of the TAPI project, and called for concerted efforts of the Turkmen president to accelerate the realization of this project.
He also expressed support of the leadership of his country for the international initiatives of the Turkmen leader to form effective mechanism in order to ensure the safety of transit of energy resources to the world markets under the UN auspices.
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.