Economic Times: India Poised to Benefit as Equal Stakeholder in TAPI Gas Pipeline

Close on the heels of the Narendra Modi-Nawaz Sharif meeting in Paris, India will soon join Pakistan in benefiting as equal stakeholder in the much delayed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-Iran (TAPI) gas pipeline whose construction is finally set to begin on December 13. 

The Modi government is planning to send a senior minister to the groundbreaking ceremony when Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov will launch construction of pipeline that has the potential to meet some of India's energy demands, officials said. Afghanistan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani will also attend the ceremony. 

Energy could emerge as an area of cooperation for India and Pakistan as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has in the past been keen to push economic relations with the neighbouring country, experts said. 

This pipeline could emerge as a major confidence building measure between the two countries after Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline failed to take off and only Iran-Pakistan part is expected to be operational. While Iran has completed its part of the pipeline, Pakistan fell behind the target. MORE