Turkmenistan starts work on gas link to Afghanistan, Pakistan, India

During his stay, PM Nawaz Sharif would also participate in the ground breaking ceremony of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Gas Pipeline Project along with the President of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan and Vice President of India. In addition, experts said the commercial partnership between the two countries, with India paying Pakistan transit fees, could give other projects like the pipeline from Iran (IPI) higher chances of success, as long as the security of the project was guaranteed.

The vice president and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif welcomed the TAPI gas pipeline project, saying they saw it as a key pillar of economic engagement between South and Central Asia.

The TAPI pipeline will have a capacity to carry 90 million standard cubic metres a day (mmscmd) gas for a 30-year period. At the ceremony, held in the Turkmen desert, Berdimuhamedow said he hoped the project gets operational by December 2019.

Vice President Anasri, who arrived in the ancient city of Mary – 311km from the capital Asghabat – earlier on Sunday, also signed the pipe and a document that was put in a capsule and placed under the ground.

Foreign policy analyst Richard Weitz said that the project brings a variety of potential benefits to the countries involved. There are talks of Kazakhstan too using the same pipeline to transport gas to India.

Referring to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the prime minister said the most promising element of regional connectivity was recently launched as a package of multiple infrastructure and development projects. The gas pipeline will be built at a cost of approximately 7.6 Billion US $ and will extend to about 1,800 Kms. “India’s young and dynamic Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Mr Dharmendra Pradhan, who is with us today, represents a new generation of India’s political leadership that is working hard to build a prosperous future for the country”, he said.

However, experts say the TAPI project faces several risks, including the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and lack of clarity about its financing. Nowadays, the economic interests rule the world.

He maintained Pakistan wanted good ties with all neighbours, including Afghanistan and India.

The Turkmen leader said that the TAPI project opens up new opportunities for cooperation and development. “The issues can be settled on a negotiation table”, he said and added, “On our principles we are firm”.

He made it clear that there would be no peace within unless without. Asked why the relations between India and Pakistan have frequent “ups and downs”, Ansari said the relations are “doing fine (theek chal rahe hain)”. He said he believes that “shared prosperity is the real prosperity”.