As a project which would aimed to boost economic growth of not only India but other participating countries, India termed the TAPI pipeline the new Silk Route' between Central Asia and South Asia.
The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline will usher in a new era of Asian solidarity, said the Indian petroleum minister Murali Deora
Afghan, Pakistani, Indian and Turkmen delegates gathered in Ashgabat to take part in a conference to advance a multinational natural gas pipeline.
The 1,680 kilometer long gas pipeline is projected to cost over $ 7.6 billion, would bring 3.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day (bcfd) from Turkmenistan to Pakistan, and end in India.
Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said the TAPI accord was the "harbinger of economic growth and prosperity" for partners in Central Asia,
"India strongly believes in regional cooperation and this pipeline will be a testament to regional cooperation and solidarity," he was quoted as saying.
New Delhi, however, said it still has concerns over the price of gas transmitted through the pipeline.
"Without doubt, pricing of gas is one of the most important issues," Deora was quoted as saying. "It needs to be appreciated that Turkmen gas would have to compete with other forms of gas in the markets of the buyer countries, including indigenous gas."
The project is seen as a rival to a similar pipeline from Iran's South Pars gas field.
The (TAPI) pipeline would supply 33 billion cubic meters of Turkmen gas a year from the Dauletabad gas fields to Pakistan and India via Afghanistan s volatile southern provinces,. In doing so, Kabul could reap billions of dollars in transit fees.
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, speaking at a signing ceremony on December 11, hailed the pipeline as a real and effective stabilizing factor with long term positive impact on the overall situation in Central and Southern Asia and adjacent regions, according to Turkmen state-controlled media.
This resource-rich region can complement the economies of our countries, added Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai stressed the economic benefits of the pipeline and said Afghanistan would work to expedite the project s completion. Kabul could earn upwards of $1.4 billion in transit fees annually.
The TAPI project has long been contemplated, but practical complications, namely Afghanistan s chronic instability, have prevented the interested parties from taking concrete steps to make it a reality.
On December 12, a day after the agreement was inked in Ashgabat, Afghanistan s Mines and Industry minister said pipeline security would be a top priority.
This huge project is very important for Afghanistan. Five thousand to 7,000 security forces will be deployed to safeguard the pipeline route, Wahidullah Shahrani told the Pakistani news paper The Daily Times.
The route through Herat and Kandahar is not so difficulty for the Afghan National Security Forces to control, Hewad claimed. US military progress will likely improve along the route, it's a very strategic interest, and support from the local population can also increase.
Given the movement on TAPI development, the Iran-Pakistan pipeline project appears to have been shelved.
The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline will usher in a new era of Asian solidarity, said the Indian petroleum minister Murali Deora
Afghan, Pakistani, Indian and Turkmen delegates gathered in Ashgabat to take part in a conference to advance a multinational natural gas pipeline.
The 1,680 kilometer long gas pipeline is projected to cost over $ 7.6 billion, would bring 3.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day (bcfd) from Turkmenistan to Pakistan, and end in India.
Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said the TAPI accord was the "harbinger of economic growth and prosperity" for partners in Central Asia,
"India strongly believes in regional cooperation and this pipeline will be a testament to regional cooperation and solidarity," he was quoted as saying.
New Delhi, however, said it still has concerns over the price of gas transmitted through the pipeline.
"Without doubt, pricing of gas is one of the most important issues," Deora was quoted as saying. "It needs to be appreciated that Turkmen gas would have to compete with other forms of gas in the markets of the buyer countries, including indigenous gas."
The project is seen as a rival to a similar pipeline from Iran's South Pars gas field.
The (TAPI) pipeline would supply 33 billion cubic meters of Turkmen gas a year from the Dauletabad gas fields to Pakistan and India via Afghanistan s volatile southern provinces,. In doing so, Kabul could reap billions of dollars in transit fees.
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, speaking at a signing ceremony on December 11, hailed the pipeline as a real and effective stabilizing factor with long term positive impact on the overall situation in Central and Southern Asia and adjacent regions, according to Turkmen state-controlled media.
This resource-rich region can complement the economies of our countries, added Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai stressed the economic benefits of the pipeline and said Afghanistan would work to expedite the project s completion. Kabul could earn upwards of $1.4 billion in transit fees annually.
The TAPI project has long been contemplated, but practical complications, namely Afghanistan s chronic instability, have prevented the interested parties from taking concrete steps to make it a reality.
On December 12, a day after the agreement was inked in Ashgabat, Afghanistan s Mines and Industry minister said pipeline security would be a top priority.
This huge project is very important for Afghanistan. Five thousand to 7,000 security forces will be deployed to safeguard the pipeline route, Wahidullah Shahrani told the Pakistani news paper The Daily Times.
The route through Herat and Kandahar is not so difficulty for the Afghan National Security Forces to control, Hewad claimed. US military progress will likely improve along the route, it's a very strategic interest, and support from the local population can also increase.
Given the movement on TAPI development, the Iran-Pakistan pipeline project appears to have been shelved.
