Acting FM discusses TAPI project with Turkmenistan’s envoy in Kabul

Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi this week discussed the expansion of diplomatic relations and the commencement of practical work on the TAPI project with Khawaja Awadov, Turkmenistan’s ambassador to Kabul, the foreign ministry said in a statement Thursday.

According to the statement, Muttaqi described the TAPI project as an important priority for Afghanistan and said that the relevant departments in Afghanistan are striving to complete technical work around the project so as to begin construction.

The Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India Gas Pipeline project, also known as TAPI, is a natural gas pipeline being developed by the Galkynysh – TAPI Pipeline Company Limited with participation of the Asian Development Bank.

The pipeline will transport natural gas from the Galkynysh Gas Field in Turkmenistan through Afghanistan into Pakistan and then to India.

Construction on the project started in Turkmenistan in December 2015, but construction of the Afghanistan-Pakistan section of the pipeline started early 2018 but then stalled.

Since regaining power in August 2021, the Islamic Emirate has been hard at work to restart and complete the project.