Kabul, Ashgabat reach agreements on TAPI

KABUL (TOLOnews): The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said that the delegation of the Islamic Emirate on a visit to Turkmenistan reached agreements on important issues related to the TAPI (Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India) pipeline.
According to a senior official of MoFA, the two sides reached an agreement on action plans for pipeline construction, the distribution of gas to industrial parks and residents of Herat, as well as the conversion of natural gas to LLG.
“First, the two sides agreed to form a schedule for the acquisition of land and the pipeline construction. Second, the two sides agreed to establish a network to distribute gas to the residents of Herat and industrial parks,” said Shafay Azam, head of the economic affairs of MoFA.
The Ministry of Economic said that it is ready to provide financial support to TAPI.
“The TAPI project is one of the important and fundamental projects that can facilitate political engagement, regional cooperation and regional development,” said Abdul Rahman Habib, a spokesman for the MoE.
Practical work in Afghanistan on the pipeline has not yet begun.
Economist Sayed Masoud said that the tensions between India and Pakistan have caused a delay in implementation of the TAPI pipeline project.
“First, there is tension between Pakistan and India, until this tension is solved, Pakistan will not let the project cross to India. Second, with the current political situation of Afghanistan, the international relations of the ruling (government) in Afghanistan are severe,” he said.
More than 80 km of the TAPI pipeline will cross from Afghan soil to Pakistan and India. The project is expected to provide job opportunities for thousands of people. It is estimated that Afghanistan will earn more than $400 million in revenue annually.