Serkhetabat (Turkmenistan) : Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (Tapi) on Friday ceremonially broke ground on the Afghan section of an ambitious, multi-billion dollar gas pipeline expected to help ease energy deficits in South Asia.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov joined Pakistani premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and India’s External Affairs Minister Shri M J Akbar for the ceremony at gas-rich Turkmenistan’s border with Afghanistan. India’s commitment to the pipeline has previously been questioned over its relationship with Pakistan and easy-access to liquified natural gas markets seen as potential stumbling blocks. But India’s minister of state for external affairs MJ Akbar hailed the project as “a symbol of our goals” and “a new page in cooperation” between the four countries in a speech at the ceremony today.
The overall funding picture for the mammoth gas pipeline remains unclear, with energy giants such as France’s Total failing to follow up on reported interest in the project.
