OREANDA-NEWS. August 9, 2010. The regular meeting of the technical working group of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project closed in Ashgabat. The 5th meeting brought together the representatives of four countries-participants to this infrastructure project. The experts and specialists from Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India the Asian Development Bank discussed the critical technical issues related to acceleration of construction of the gas pipeline that would ensure long-term supplies of natural gas from Turkmenistan to the largest countries of the Southern Asian region.

In an atmosphere of mutual understanding the members of the technical working group unanimously underscored the importance of accelerated implementation of the TAPI project and recognized the need to concert efforts towards this aim. Emphasis was put on economic benefits to be received from by all countries construction of the gas pipeline: by Turkmenistan as the gas exporter, by Pakistan and India whose economies urgently needed energy resources and by Afghanistan as the consumer and transit country.

Drafting the framework agreement on construction of the gas pipeline that would be submitted to the governments of the TAPI project participants for consideration was a focus of the meeting agenda. Also, the issues related to drafting the agreement for purchase and sales of Turkmen natural gas and other technical issues were considered during the meeting.

The participants noted that the businesslike and constructive format of the Ashgabat meeting had contributed to specifying the economic and technical aspects of the gas pipeline project and identify the further measures for constructing the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas main. Upon concluding the meeting, the working group members underscored the progress made in promoting the TAPI project.

Thus, the 5th meeting of the technical working group of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project hosted by the Turkmen capital had became a new constructive step taken by the TAPI project participants to specify the economic and technical parameters of the future gas main.