Turkmenistan and Pakistan have pledged to accelerate work on the long-delayed Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline, a multi-billion-dollar project seen as critical for regional energy security and economic integration, Ariananews.af reports.
Turkmenistan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Atadjan Movlamov, held talks with Pakistan’s Federal Minister of Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, in Islamabad to review progress and identify ways to fast-track implementation, the Turkmen Embassy said in a statement.
The meeting focused on boosting bilateral trade, increasing investment flows, and creating a more business-friendly environment to encourage joint ventures.
Both sides reaffirmed their strong diplomatic and economic ties, emphasising that the timely completion of TAPI would deliver long-term socio-economic benefits and strengthen regional connectivity.
The TAPI project aims to transport 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh field through Afghanistan and Pakistan to India. Construction of the pipeline began in Turkmenistan on December 13, 2015, but security challenges, financing issues, and political hurdles — particularly in Afghanistan — slowed progress.
Officials from both countries expressed optimism that renewed political will and cooperation could push the project forward, providing a stable energy supply for South Asia while offering Turkmenistan a strategic export route.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
August 14, 2025