A map of the proposed route of TAPI by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (image from Wikipedia)
RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan
February 23, 2018
Leaders and senior officials from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, and India have inaugurated the start of work on the Afghan part of a multibillion-dollar pipeline project that they hope will meet the region’s energy needs.
The Afghan and Turkmen presidents, Ashraf Ghani and Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, were joined by Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and India’s Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar in Afghanistan’s western city of Herat for the groundbreaking ceremony for the Afghan section of the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) natural-gas pipeline.
“Galkynysh, the world’s second-biggest gas field, will feed the TAPI pipeline,” Berdymukhamedov told reporters gathered in a town near the Turkmen-Afghan border via a video link from Herat.
Turkmenistan holds the world’s fourth-largest natural gas reserves but has been heavily dependent on gas exports to China after Russia cut back on gas imports in the last few years.
The planned 1,800-kilometer pipeline connecting Central Asia with South Asia is to carry 33 billion cubic meters of Turkmen natural gas annually for 30 years.
The total cost of the project, which is expected to take two years to complete, is estimated at $10 billion.
“A new chapter of economic growth and regional connectivity starts right here in the economic and cultural hub of #Afghanistan,” Ghani wrote on Twitter after arriving in Herat on February 22.
Railway Link
Ghani and Berdymukhammedov were also expected to inaugurate work on the construction of a railway link between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.
Heavy security will guard the pipeline construction through Afghanistan, said Jelani Farhad, a spokesman for the Herat provincial governor’s office, on February 23.
Security personnel were deployed in sensitive areas across Herat for the opening ceremony, checking all vehicles entering the city.
“It’s a golden day for Afghanistan today. It will help our economy and create thousands of jobs,” Farhad said.
Backers of the TAPI pipeline say it will ease energy deficits in South Asia and help reduce tensions in the divided region.
Afghan officials say Kabul should earn some $500 million annually in transit duties and that the project should help create thousands of jobs.
However, security concerns over the project remain high as the Western-backed government in Kabul has been struggling to fend off the Taliban and other militant groups since the withdrawal of most NATO troops in 2014.
Turkmenistan started construction of its section of the pipeline in December 2015.
Taliban Support
The planned underground pipeline is intended to carry 33 billion cubic meters of gas annually alongside Afghanistan’s Herat-Kandahar highway, then through Quetta and Multan in Pakistan and ending up at the India-Pakistan border town of Fazilka.
It would start from the Galkynysh Gas Field near the town of Yoloten in Turkmenistan’s eastern province of Mary.
Officials say 5 billion cubic meters would go to Afghanistan and India, and Pakistan would buy around 14 billion.
Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan have all repeatedly stated their commitment to the project despite the tensions that New Delhi and Kabul have with Islamabad.
Pakistan is accused of not doing enough to stop terrorist groups from using its soil for attacks against the neighboring countries, which Islamabad denies.
Highlighting security concerns surrounding TAPI, officials in Herat Province on February 22 paraded a group of 10 Afghan militants claiming to have been trained by neighboring Iran to sabotage events related to the planned pipeline.
Herat Governor Mohammad Asif Rahimi told RFE/RL that the insurgents changed their minds at the last minute and surrendered.
Iranian officials have not commented on the claims.
The pipeline would mostly run through parts of Afghanistan where the Taliban has a strong presence. However, the main Taliban organization in the country has declared its support for TAPI, calling it an “important project” for the country.
With reporting by Pajhwok, Tolo News, VOA, Reuters, and AP
Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
Related
Indeed!
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The ugly rats coincided it all with with fresh massacres and summary execution all over Qandahahr and Hilmand provinces- ugly Hitler would be proud of antics and bloody attacks of his illegitimates, all over Afghanistan.
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THE RATS ARE BUILDING CROSS-COUNTRY GAS PIOE-LINES FOR MOSTLY FOR THE BENIFITS OF OUTSODETS – NOT ONLY THAT; THEY ARE MASSACRING THE LEADERS WHO ATE OPPOSING THE EXPLOITATIONS.
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ALL THESE DAMAGING PROJECTS ARE IMPLEMENTED WITHOUT TGE CONSENT OF TGE PEOPLE OF AFGJANISTAN.
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KICK THE PARASITES, (INVADERS), OUT OF THE COUNTRY !
It is real funny- they can run the pipelines through Afghanistan and Pakistan; but, the same parasatic Anglo/US overlords would not allow civilian direct commercial links to India through Pakistan.
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Why burdening Iran into creating a superficially goofy link. And the crazy Indian uand Iranian authorities are just delighted in this weird gesture- amazing; ISN’T IT !
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THEY,!SOME HOW, TIE IT ALL TO
THEIR GRAND MILLIARY STRATEGY
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It is invelievsnly true.
TURNING THEM ALL TO:
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BANANA REPUBLICS
That is how they do it- caught in action.
Would you go along with
goofy drunk foreigners
conducting business
on your behalf ?????
*THE ABOVE IMPOSING AND EXPLOITATIVE PROJECTS WOULD ONLY PROFITS THE INVADERS; THEIR STOOGES AND CAMP-FOLLOWERS.
More the %90 of the energy, from the passing pipes, will be definitely used by the invaders inside Afghanistan; so, they will be able to cheaply maintain and operate their heavy stationalry and mobile military equipments and other huge machineries that are being used to support all civilian and military toys for the fighting forces.
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THE ANGLO/US MILITARY FUEL COST IS THE ONLY REASON FOR THIS SECRET PROJECT- OTHERWISE, IT EILL BE TOO EXPENSIVE TO KEEP GOING WITH THE IMPOSED WAR.
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THE US TAX PAYERS WON’T PAY FIR ITS HUGE COST.
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STUPID INVADERS !
WHO YOU THINK YOU CAN FOOL ?????
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Little heads !
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A REFRESHING
IDEA:
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* *AN
* EXTENDED REGIONAL
* ECONOMIC ZONE:
* .
* .
* . A viable and powerful economic zone could be created only if long-lasting commercial and military alliance is firmly established between
* Pakistan, Afghanistan and all of the Islamic Central Asian nations.
* .
* Then, economically-integrated entity will be big and powerful enough to serve the basic interests of the whole
* population at large and command much more respect from the world body without getting subjected to forced social and economic degradation.
* .
* It seems far off and ideal- but it is the only solution for the region to be able to exercise free choices and stand on its own true self.
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* Baghlani says: December 2, 2017 at 11:43 pm YES !
* Just a simple and viable economic unity arrangement that would facilitate competition against other major global economic power houses.
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* . Reply
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* Baghlani says: December 2, 2017 at 11:46 pm Otherwise; the region will indefinitely stay underdeveloped and exploited. Reply
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* Baghlani says: December 2, 2017 at 11:48 pm This is a solid proposal ! Reply
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* Baghlani says: December 2, 2017 at 11:55 pm It will boost the population of this ideal economic zone to more than 300 millions, comparable to the US and an area larger than India which has an area of 1.2.million square miles. Reply
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* Baghlani says: December 3, 2017 at 12:09 am ***** As a *hub and *gateway, Afghanistan would then definitely gain the best position; economically and strategically:
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* IN SHORT:
* It will also open up wide gates of opportunities globally for all of those Centrall Asian countries with extremely talented pools of Human Resources- obviously, if managed and coordinated properly and kept safe from foreign unrelenting aggressive and exploitative moves.