Turkmenistan, Afghanistan Agree to Speed Up TAPI Pipeline Project Implementation

During his recent working visit to Afghanistan, Turkmenistan’s Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov held a meeting with Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to discuss the progress of key joint energy, transport, and infrastructure projects involving, according to the Turkmen Foreign Ministry.

The ministers inspected the ongoing construction of the Afghan section of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) natural gas pipeline and agreed to accelerate its implementation, The Caspian Post reports, citing The Times of Central Asia.

Turkmenistan has already completed its section of the TAPI pipeline, designed to transport 33 billion cubic meters of Turkmen natural gas annually to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.

The $10 billion TAPI project will span 1,814 kilometers, with 816 kilometers crossing Afghanistan. The pipeline will help meet Afghanistan’s domestic gas needs while generating approximately $450 million annually in transit fees. The pipeline will extend from Afghanistan to Quetta and Multan in Pakistan before reaching Fazilka in India.

As part of the visit, the Turkmen foreign minister also inspected the construction of a fiber-optic communication line and a warehouse complex at the dry port of Turgundi railway station, located in Afghanistan’s northern Herat Province. Meredov further assessed progress on the Turgundi-Sanabar section of the Turgundi-Herat railroad.