Taliban back TAPI gas pipeline project

• Afghanistan acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has said that work on the TAPI project will resume soon in his country. 
• The development came during a meeting between a Turkmenistan delegation and the Taliban leadership.
• Muttaqi says during the visit of Turkmenistan's FM, both sides discussed issues regarding political relations and economic ties.

KABUL: Afghanistan acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has said that work on Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project will resume soon in his country, The News reported.  

Addressing a joint press conference along with Turkmenistan Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, the Taliban’s foreign minister said that during the two-day visit, both sides discussed issues around strengthening political relations and economic ties.

“Important issues such as TAPI, railroads and electricity were discussed. We discussed how to strengthen the projects that had already started,” he added.

"Also, the projects that were started by Turkmenistan, such as TAPI—its practical implementation will start soon in Afghanistan,” Muttaqi said.

Meanwhile, Meredov has invited the Afghan FM to visit Turkmenistan. 

During the visit, Meredov and his accompanying delegation also met with Deputy PM Abdul Salam Hanafi and discussed economic issues—especially the TAPI project—and railroads and made important decisions, the Islamic Emirate Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said. 

TAPI Project

The TAPI project was launched in 2016.

TAPI pipeline is expected to carry 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas each year along a route stretching 1,800 km from Galkynysh, the world’s second-biggest gas field, to the Indian city of Fazilka near the Pakistan border. 

Work on the project in Afghanistan began in February 2018 and will include a 1,814-kilometer gas pipeline intended to pass through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India, with at least 816 kilometres of the pipeline passing through Afghanistan.