Turkmen president says TAPI project to be realized
By Aynur Jafarova
Turkmenistan absolutely believes in the implementation of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.
This was stated by Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov in his message to the participants of the International Gas Congress which kicked off in Avaza on May 20.
"I am confident that specific approaches will be formulated and
constructive proposals for implementation of the TAPI gas pipeline
project will be put forward in the current International Gas
Congress," he noted.
Berdymukhamedov believes the implementation of this historic
project will play a significant role in strengthening peace and
promoting economic cooperation throughout the Asian region.
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.
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.