TAPI Chairman meets Pak Foreign Minister, apprises him of project progress

Chairman of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Pipeline Corporation Murad Amanov on Wednesday met Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and apprised him about the progress in the Trans-Afghanistan project.

Qureshi assured the delegation about the government's commitment to ensure early implementation of the TAPI Gas project and promote cooperation in the energy sector with Turkmenistan.

Energy is important for advancing the domestic economy, therefore, the government is paying special attention to the energy sector for economic development, he said.

Meanwhile, Amanov told the foreign minister that talks between Pakistan and TAPI Company are underway successfully for the finalization of this agreement by the host government.

Qureshi said that ensuring safety of oil and gas supply is our top priority.

The TAPI gas pipeline project is expected to be completed by 2022 in Pakistan.

The TAPI project, supported by the United States and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), has been supported by Turkmenistan since the 1990s. But the initiation of the project was delayed due to issues related to the instability in the region, especially in Afghanistan.

The ADB is acting as the facilitator and coordinator for the project. It is proposed to lay a 56-inch diameter and 1,680-kilometre pipeline with a capacity of transporting 33 billion cubic meters (BCM) of natural gas per annum from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Fazilka near the India-Pakistan border, Geo News reported.

The pipeline will run through areas of southern Afghanistan largely controlled by the Taliban.