Trend: TAPI Gas Pipeline Project has Real Prospects to be Implemented

Despite a lot of difficulties and threats, the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project has real prospects to be build, Lecturer in Central Asian Studies at the University of Glasgow (UK) Luca Anceschi believes.

“Although difficult, TAPI in my view is most likely to happen,” Anceschi told Trend.

Turkmenistan does not want to depend on just Chinese gas market and has to find new avenues to export its gas, according to the expert.

“Turkmenistan’s gas has to go somewhere… TAPI is still the most likely to be finalized because of this very condition,” Anceschi said.

The expert noted that India and Pakistan are buyers who are very interested in acquiring Turkmen gas, and the economic argument seems to be the one, which makes sense for TAPI.

“This is the condition to put all the money together and build the pipeline,” he said.

At the same time, there are a lot of local threats that the project might face, and Anceschi believes any forecasts on the TAPI project security are mere speculations. MORE