ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 6. Afghanistan has reported progress in the implementation of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, with 25 kilometers of pipeline already laid along the Herat-Turkmenistan border route, Trend reports via Afghan MFA.
The statement was made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan during Afghanistan - Central Asia Consultative Dialogue held in Kabul.
According to him, an additional 120 kilometers of the route have been prepared for construction.
The minister noted that the TAPI project, which envisages gas supplies from Turkmenistan to Pakistan and India via Afghanistan, remains a priority for Kabul within the framework of regional energy cooperation.
He added that the transfer of energy from Central Asia to South Asia through TAPI, as well as the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) power transmission line project and the Central Asia-South Asia power project (CASA-1000), remains one of the key areas of cooperation, alongside regional initiatives such as “Green Central Asia”, participation in which is highly valued by Kabul.
According to the minister, Afghanistan is working to position itself as a transit hub connecting Central Asia with South and West Asia and has completed the legal framework for its transit initiatives. He also said that trade between Afghanistan and Central Asian countries reached approximately $2.7 billion in 2025, with a target to increase this figure to $10 billion within the next three to four years.
At the same time, the minister stated that there are currently no security problems along Afghanistan’s borders with Central Asian countries, including Turkmenistan, and expressed readiness to expand cooperation to support large-scale infrastructure and energy projects.
Meanwhile, Turkmenistan has identified the Serhetabat-Herat section of the TAPI gas pipeline as a priority oil and gas project for 2026. This initiative is part of Turkmenistan’s broader "Social and Economic Development and Investment Program for 2026." In addition to the TAPI project, the oil and gas sector’s focus in 2026 will include the exploration of new hydrocarbon resources, the enhancement of reserves, and the commencement of first-phase production well drilling at the Galkynysh field.