NEW DELHI: There is hope of some headway being made in the $10 billion Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, with the upcoming visit of President Ram Nath Kovind to Ashgabat from April 1st to 4th.
This 1,800-kilometre partially constructed pipeline, if and when completed, would transport 33 billion cubic metres of natural gas annually from Galkynysh in Turkmenistan to Fazilka in India.
Turkmenistan houses the sixth largest gas reserves in the world with close to 19.5 trillion cubic meters of reserves. Its main importer is China, which imports 35 billion cubic metres annually.
It has been fourteen years since India, Pakistan and Afghanistan had signed a framework agreement to buy natural gas from Turkmenistan in 2008. However, though some part of the pipeline has been constructed, there has been a delay in construction in Afghanistan due to political instability.
Experts feel that President Kovind’s visit may help in bringing the project back in focus and lead to a revival.
"This will be the first ever visit of any Indian President to Turkmenistan, that too within less than a fortnight of Serdar Berdymukhamedov having taken over as the President of Turkmenistan," said Sanjay Verma, Secretary West, Ministry of External Affairs, adding that India has had concerns over commercials and logistics and was hopeful of its resolution.
Turkmenistan had recently announced that it was giving a renewed push to the TAPI project and was discussing its prospects with the Taliban regime in Kabul. Turkmenistan’s Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, on the sidelines of the OIC meet a few days back, had a detailed discussion about TAPI with Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
The main impediment in the TAPI project is the Asian Development Bank (ADB) pausing the due diligence and processing activities until the Taliban regime is recognised by the UN. However, the Taliban government has been expressing optimism of revival of work on the project within the next few months as it would help generate employment and also help them earn revenues through the transit fee.