Pakistan to start the work on its section of the TAPI pipeline this year

Islamabad has decided on the start date for the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline (TAPI) and plans to start the work on its pipeline section this year, Khaleej Times newspaper reports referring to the sources in the Pakistan government.

The information showed up a one week later after the visit of the delegation of Turkmenistan to Pakistan, where a document, which encompasses the main terms of an agreement with Pakistan on the TAPI gas pipeline construction project, was signed between the governments of the two countries.

Pakistan is actively preparing to start the work on laying on the TAPI and expects that the gas pipeline would be laid from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Pakistan up to Pakistan-India border by the year 2020. Pakistan to lay on its section from Chaman to Multan via Quetta and Dera Ismail Khan.

On March 18, as part of the Turkmen-Bahrain top-level talks, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov invited Bahrain companies to join the implementation of the TAPI project, noting that the construction of the gas pipeline is underway at a high pace.

Intensification of international cooperation on the implementation of the TAPI project would contribute to the high quality of its construction and bear not only economy but also social functions – stabilization of the situation in Afghanistan.

Pakistan and India, meanwhile, would be able to meet the increasing demand for gas to implement new infrastructure projects that would support economic growth.