The Turkmenistan delegation, visiting Pakistan, met with the Pakistani authorities and decided to commence further work on the Turkmenistan Afghanistan Pakistan India (TAPI) gas pipeline project. The work on the project had stopped due to the decrease in interest by the Asian development Bank (ADB), but it was decided that the work will continue on the project despite the lost interest of the bank.
Representatives of the Pakistan ministry of energy including the federal minister Hammad Azhar and the official delegation of Turkmenistan headed by the deputy minister of foreign affairs of Turkmenistan, Vepa Hajiyev were a part of the meeting. The significance of natural gas as a replacement for coal industry, as well as the details of financial and developmental aspects of the project were studied upon in detail during the meeting. The agreements between the parties are said to be signed within the first half of the year 2022. Both the parties will coke to a decision on the working team on financial, legal and technical matters.
It was decided that this project will prove to be more economical and beneficial for the general energy supply as compared to the coal industry policy keeping in view the risks involved in the latter project. The project will be included in the national program for the construction and facilitation of Pakistan territory which is due till 2030.
