US welcomes ground-breaking of TAPI pipeline

The US today congratulated India, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan on the recent ground-breaking for the construction of USD 7.6 billion TAPI pipeline crisscrossing the four countries across South and Central Asia.

"The United States congratulates Turkmenistan and its partners on the recent groundbreaking for the construction of the natural gas pipeline to Afghanistan and onward to Pakistan and India," a State Department spokesman told PTI.

The US continues to support the TAPI pipeline project, which would further diversify Turkmenistan's energy market options, provide revenue and jobs for Afghanistan at a critical time in its economic development, and bring clean fuel to the growing economies of Pakistan and India, the spokesman said.

"We welcome the continued dedication by each of these countries to regional cooperation and economic connectivity," the spokesman said.

The project which will provide energy-hungry India gas to run its power plants.