UN Center for Preventive Diplomacy: Central Asia demonstrates a unique unanimity on Afghanistan
Central Asian investments in Afghanistan and joint infrastructure projects on its territory give the Afghan society an alternative to development, helping to integrate into the world economy. This was told by Natalia Gherman, Head of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), located in Ashgabat, on the eve of the discussion of the situation in the IRA by the UN Security Council on January 19. According to Ms.Natalia Gherman, the efforts of the Central Asian states on economic integration of Afghanistan should become an example for all countries, and regional and international organizations should support their work in all available ways. Also, the Head of UNRCCA underlined that Central Asia demonstrates a unique unanimity on Afghanistan issue, and if the joint work continues in the same spirit, the region can be called the best model of peace, security and sustainable development. Today Turkmenistan implements a number of projects aimed at economic integration of Afghanistan. Only the transit of "blue fuel" through the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline is able to provide annual revenues to the IRA budget at the rate of about $1 billion. Let us remind that the laying of the Afghan section of TAPI pipeline is scheduled for the second half of February 2018.
