India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan join hands for TAPI project

Mary (Turkmenistan), Dec. 13 (ANI): Leaders of four prominent Asian countries joined hands on Sunday for the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, aimed at creating an economically integrated region stretching from the Bay of Bengal to the Caspian Sea.

"Breaking new ground. The four leaders sign memorial note and shovel earth to signify beginning of TAPI construction," tweeted Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Vikas Swarup.

Vice President Hamid Ansari, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Presidents of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, and Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow signed a memorial note and shovelled earth to signify beginning of TAPI gas pipeline construction.

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The four leaders also signed the historic TAPI gas pipeline along their respective flags.

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"Affirming a collective commitment. Vice President join hands with leaders of Turkmenistan Afghanistan and Pakistan," Swarup wrote further.

Thanking Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for their active involvement in the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, Vice President M. Hamid Ansari on Sunday said their commitment augured well for the entire region.

India's association with the TAPI project goes back almost a decade. It began as an Observer country at the 9th Steering Committee Meeting in 2006. In April 2008, India was formally admitted as a member of the Project. Since then, India has been actively participating in all the meetings and has been an active votary of the project.

Recently, during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Turkmenistan in July 2015, both India and Turkmenistan had reaffirmed strong commitment towards timely implementation of this strategic project for the common benefit of people of the four countries.