Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, March 5
By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend:
The issues of practical implementation of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan -India (TAPI) gas pipeline project were touched upon during a meeting between Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Afghan Foreign Minister Zarar Ahmad Osmani, a message from the government of Turkmenistan said on March 5.
'The theme of cooperation in the fuel and energy sphere in the context of practical implementation of a large infrastructure project for construction of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline' was the subject of the discussions, according to the message of the government.
Afghanistan's foreign minister expressed gratitude for the international initiatives aimed at the socio-economic development of his country.
Turkmenistan exports electricity to Afghanistan on a preferential basis and takes steps to increase these supplies, to build socio-cultural facilities in the border regions of the neighboring state and to regularly provide humanitarian assistance.
The parties exchanged views on the prospects of partnership in the trade and economic sphere and electricity.
The basic document is an Ashgabat interstate agreement of the member states signed in 2010 in Ashgabat on starting the practical implementation of the TAPI project.
The design capacity of the TAPI is 33 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Sale and purchase agreements were signed with Indian GAIL ltd and State Gas Systems of Pakistan in May 2012. The same agreement with the Afghan gas corporation was signed in July 2013. A service agreement was signed with the transaction advisor - Asian Development Bank (ADB) in November 2013.
Work on formation of a TAPI consortium which will provide financing and construction of the power line is underway. The parties are agreeing on the route of the future pipeline.
The TAPI pipe length will reach 1,735 kilometers. The main line must stretch from the largest gas field in Turkmenistan, Galkynysh, through the Afghan cities of Herat and Kandahar and reach its final destination at the settlement of Fazilka, located on the border between India and Pakistan.
Turkmen press said that the companies such as Chevron, Exxon Mobil, BP, BG Group, RWE, Petronas have read the project's terms and "expressed their intention to participate in it".
Translated by L.Z.
Edited by C.N.
