The Afghan delegation, led by IEA Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, including several other officials such as the Ministers of Mines and Petroleum, Communications and Information Technology, Deputy Ministers from the Ministries of Interior and Industry and Commerce, and the Governor of Herat, met with the Turkmen delegation, which was headed by Turkmen Foreign Minister Rașid Meredov accompanying the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Turkmenistan and several other officials.
The meeting took place at the shared border between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.
Both delegations toured the Torghundi railway station, the TAPI pipeline project, and major electricity projects on both sides of the border, assessing the readiness of each side for the practical start of the TAPI pipeline project.
The IEA Foreign Minister assured his Turkmen counterpart that the Afghan government’s relevant departments have completed their preparations for the extension of the TAPI pipeline within Afghan territory and are ready to commence practical work.
Minister Muttaqi also welcomed Turkmenistan’s investment in the Torghundi railway station and the pipeline extension, emphasizing that these efforts will boost the economies of both countries and benefit the entire region.
Expressing Turkmenistan’s complete readiness on their side of the border for the TAPI pipeline project, Foreign Minister Rașid Meredov affirmed his country’s commitment to swiftly begin practical work on the TAPI pipeline within Afghanistan, as well as on the construction of the railway line and railway station.
In the end, He also informed that the Noor al-Jihad electricity substation would soon be ready for operation.
The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline is a major project designed to transport natural gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Pakistan to India. Expected to deliver 33 billion cubic meters annually, construction on the project began in Turkmenistan on December 13, 2015. Turkmenistan is the primary gas supplier and plays a key role in the pipeline’s development, aiming to diversify its energy export routes and enhance regional economic ties.
