Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, July 21
By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend:
The Turkmenistan-Pakistan intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation plans to hold a meting in early August in Islamabad, a message from the Turkmen government said on July 21.
The issues related to preparations for the meeting of the intergovernmental commission was discussed during the meeting with the outgoing ambassador of Pakistan to this country. Among the issues discussed was the cooperation between Turkmenistan and Pakistan in the political, economic, cultural and humanitarian fields.
Earlier, the Pakistani ambassador was received by the president of Turkmenistan.
"Highlighting the topicality and timeliness of construction of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) transcontinental gas pipeline, the Pakistani ambassador reaffirmed his country's interest in the speedy implementation of the project that is of great importance for the whole region," the governmental message 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.
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.