Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

Ashgabat and Kabul have discussed the issue of practical implementation of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.

The issue was discussed at a meeting between Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and Afghan Foreign Minister Zarar Ahmad Osmani on March 5, local Turkmen media reported.

The cooperation in the fuel and energy sector, as well as the practical implementation of large infrastructure projects for construction of the TAPI pipeline was the main topic of the discussions.

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.

During the meeting, the Afghan FM expressed gratitude for the international initiatives aimed at the socio-economic development of his country.

The parties also exchanged views on the prospects of partnership in the trade and economic and electricity fields.

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.

Turkmenistan which has a long border with Afghanistan has repeatedly put forward a number of initiatives on the economic and social revival of its neighbor. These initiatives have been appreciated by the UN and the OSCE.

In early 2013, Ashgabat hosted an international meeting on assistance to Afghanistan which brought together representatives of neighboring states, as well as international organizations.

Turkmenistan exports electricity to Afghanistan on a preferential basis and takes steps to increase these supplies, to build socio-cultural facilities in the border regions of the neighboring country, and to regularly provide humanitarian assistance.