Turkmenistan, Afghanistan Discuss Acceleration Of TAPI Pipeline Construction

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, May 9. Turkmenistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov and Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi held online talks to discuss the progress of regional infrastructure projects, with a focus on accelerating the TAPI pipeline construction, Trend reports, citing Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The sides discussed ways to strengthen political and economic ties between the two countries. The discussions also covered diplomatic cooperation and the advancement of joint initiatives, notably the TAPI pipeline.

Muttaqi characterized the relationship between the two countries as stronger than ever and expressed confidence that the current regional environment was favorable for expanding bilateral cooperation.

The foreign ministers agreed to continue high-level consultations aimed at accelerating the implementation of the TAPI pipeline project, expanding railway connections, improving electricity transmission, and deepening overall economic cooperation.

The TAPI pipeline is a large-scale project that envisions the transportation of natural gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Pakistan to India. Construction on the project, with an annual delivery capacity of 33 billion cubic meters, began in Turkmenistan on December 13, 2015. Turkmenistan is the primary supplier of gas and plays a key role in the development of the pipeline, aiming to diversify energy export routes and strengthen regional economic ties.

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