Not with standing the current state of the bilateral relationship, India and Pakistan on Friday demonstrated their firm commitment to implementing the ambitious Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline that will connect Central Asia with South Asia.
Minister of state for external affairs M J Akbar joined Pakistan PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow at a ceremony in Herat province of Afghanistan to kick off work on the Afghan section of the project.
Speaking at the event, Ghani said his country would leave no stone unturned to implement the project. “Today, Herat gives the message of confidence, hope and rehabilitation to Afghanistan and the region. Afghanistan will not spare any effort to implement the project,” he said.
“The start of this project is the beginning of change in distrust to trust. It is the start of trust in Afghanistan. The project will improve regional cooperation and will move us from poverty to prosperity,” Ghani was quoted as saying by the local media.
The Pakistan PM said his country was committed to long-term economic goals which guarantee stability in the region. Abbasi wished Afghanistan success for its economic projects, saying “your development is our development, security in Afghanistan is security in Pakistan”.
Turkmenistan President said implementation of TAPI was the biggest achievement for countries involved in the project. Akbar said India was committed to supporting the project. The 1,814-km gas pipeline is expected to transport 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The final destination will be Fazilka, near country’s border with Pakistan.