Kabul and Ashgabat Are Agreeing on the Procedure for Acquiring Land for the TAPI Gas Pipeline
The implementation of the TAPI gas pipeline project in Afghanistan is moving toward resolving land issues. On March 15, a meeting was held in Kabul between Mawlawi Ataullah Omari, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock of Afghanistan, and Muhammetmyrat Amanov, Executive Director of the TAPI Pipeline Company Ltd. consortium, and Khoja Ovezov, Ambassador of Turkmenistan.
The main topic of the talks was the mechanism for expropriating and leasing land plots along the pipeline route.
The parties focused on fulfilling the terms of the framework agreement between the four participating countries. Key outcomes of the meeting:
Cost assessment: The Afghan side is developing a differentiated tariff system for the purchase or lease of private, individual, and state ("emirate") land.
Accelerating the pace: Mukhammetmyrat Amanov called for the land acquisition process to be completed as quickly as possible to stay on schedule.
Herat Province as a priority: The meeting took place amid the active work of the technical delegation from the Afghan Land Department in Herat, where the route is being marked.
Mawlawi Ataullah Omari confirmed that the TAPI project is a strategic priority for the Afghan economy. His ministry is acting as a technical guarantor, from assessing soil fertility along the pipeline's route to ensuring the legality of property rights during compensation payments.
Clearly defining lease rates and tax parameters for land along the pipeline is expected to enable the completion of the construction corridor in Herat province this year.
