Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, April 23 / Trend H.Hasanov /
Delhi is to host talks on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline project next week. The event will focus on the cost of Turkmen gas under the project, an official Turkmen source said on Saturday.
Turkmen President Gurbangulu Berdimuhammedov has already approved the composition of the Turkmen side of the TAPI steering committee.
At the recent governmental meeting, Berdimuhammedov said "all member states of this grandiose infrastructure project attach great importance to the TAPI gas pipeline construction. They appreciate the fact that, in addition to economic benefits, its implementation will contribute to strengthening the peace and stability, sustainable socio-economic development in the Asian region and global energy security. "
The background documents for the negotiations are the interstate and framework agreements signed in Ashgabat in December 2010.The event will be attended by experts of the countries interested in the project, as well as representatives of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
This 1735-km gas pipeline is planned to supply 33 billion cubic meters of Turkmen natural gas from the Dovletabad deposit annually. The South Yolotan-Osman deposit could also serve as a raw materials base for the project. According to the latest estimates, it has more than 21 trillion cubic meters of gas reserves. According to the project's feasibility study, the TAPI gas pipeline will pass through Afghanistan's Herat and Kandahar Provinces and Pakistan's Quetta District. Its final destination will be the Indian town of Fazilka on the border between Pakistan and India.
Experts note that the main obstacle to the implementation of the TAPI gas pipeline is the continued escalation of tension in Afghanistan. But Kabul states that it can ensure the pipeline's security.