Turkmenistan, Afghanistan Discuss Tapi Project

Turkmenistan and Afghanistan July 3 discussed the ambitious Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (Tapi) gas pipeline, state news agency of Turkmenistan reported.

Afghan president Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, who was in Turkmenistan and met with Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, told media that the pipeline will positively affect the socio-economic development of the countries of the region. “The people of Afghanistan are pinning great hopes on the realisation of this major project, being sure that we will all witness its full implementation,” the Turkmen news agency quoted Ghani as saying.

Originating in Turkmenistan's Dawlatabad region the $10bn TAPI will supply some 33bn m³/yr to the regional countries. The total length of Tapi will be 1,814 km, of which 214 km run through Turkmenistan, 774 km through Afghanistan and 826 km through Pakistan. There are doubts that the line will be built, owing to security risks in Afghanistan.

Recently, Uzbekistan said it is considering joining the project.

Shardul Sharma