OREANDA-NEWS. August 6, 2010.  The technical working group of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project consisting of the representatives of the four countries involved in this grandiose project held a regular meeting in the Turkmen capital.

The meeting participants focused on the importance of prompt implementation of the project and recognized the need to concert efforts for this purpose. The working group members were unanimous that the implementation of this project would benefit Turkmenistan as a gas exporter, Pakistan and India whose economies needed energy sources and Afghanistan as a consumer and transit state. Through building this transnational gas pipeline the participating countries would be able to address critical social and humanitarian issues such as creation of new jobs, development of social infrastructure along the pipeline route, etc and, what is more important, to maintain and enhance political stability in the region.

As is known, Turkmenistan committed to the principle of multivariant transit of energy to world markets pursues the strategy for diversifying the development of the oil and gas industry and always stands ready for mutually advantageous cooperation. This constructive fuel and energy policy consistently implemented by the national leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov as well as Turkmenistan’s huge hydrocarbon potential recognized by independent international experts promote implementation of large-scale projects in this field. The illustrative examples include the Trans-Asian gas pipeline supplying ‘blue fuel’ from Turkmenistan to China. Construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline that will improve the welfare of the partner countries as well as profoundly contribute to enhancing positive partnership in the region is deemed very promising for all project participants.

The meeting participants confirmed that their countries were keenly interested in construction of the TAPI gas pipeline project and natural gas supplies from Turkmenistan and discussed the organizational aspects of the implementation of the agreements aimed at intensifying joint activities.

The group members noted that the meeting of the technical working group of the TAPI project countries in the Turkmen capital was of particular importance as a new constructive step to promote global energy cooperation that would be strengthened with a new transnational energy bridge in the near future.