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Turkmenistan to host discussions on creating consortium for TAPI project

Turkmenistan Materials 7 July 2014 16:50 (UTC +04:00)

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, July 7

By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend:

The parties to the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) project will discuss the creation of a consortium in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan in coming days, a message from the Turkmen government said on July 5.

The 26th meeting of the technical working group of the TAPI project will continue on July 7 and the meeting of its steering committee will be held on July 8.

"The agenda of these meetings will include the important issues related to the practical implementation of the TAPI project, as well as creation of TAPI Ltd. consortium and electing its head. The participants will also have discussions on transit of natural gas etc.," the government message said.

The participants will also touch upon the issues related to working out draft documents on extending the agreements on sale and purchase of natural gas.

A report from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which is the transaction advisor for the project, will be heard at the meeting.

The issues related to preparations for these events were discussed during the last meeting of Turkmenistan's Cabinet of Ministers. During this meeting, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized the importance of this large-scale energy project.

"The construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline will be a real contribution to the creation of a modern regional and global energy security system as an integral part of the sustainable development and progress, "the head of state said.

Berdimuhamedov earlier said that the construction of TAPI gas pipeline should start in 2015. The basic document is the Ashgabat interstate agreement of the member states signed in 2010 in Ashgabat on starting the practical implementation of the TAPI project.

The design capacity of the TAPI is up to 33 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Sale and purchase agreements were signed with Indian GAIL Ltd and State Gas Systems of Pakistan in May 2012. The same agreement with the Afghan gas corporation was signed in July 2013. Additionally, a service agreement was signed with ADB in November, 2013.

The TAPI pipe length will reach 1,735 kilometers. Some 200 kilometers of the pipeline will run through Turkmenistan, 735 kilometers - through Afghanistan, 800 kilometers - through Pakistan to the settlement of Fazilka, located on the border with India. Turkmenistan's largest field Galkynysh can serve as a raw material source.

Edited by CN

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