Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, June 10
By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend:
Turkmenistan's role in supporting Afghanistan's regional integration was discussed during the visit of the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Fatema Sumar, a message from the Turkmen government said on June 10.
The meeting held at Turkmenistan's Foreign Ministry mainly focused on the regional infrastructure projects. The meeting participants also exchanged views on intensifying the bilateral partnership in various spheres and the topical international issues of mutual interest.
Turkmenistan has a long border with Afghanistan and Central Asian capitals regularly conduct activities in the field of border security under the auspices of the UN. One of the key issues is the possible consequences of reducing the international forces in Afghanistan on regional security.
A large scale project that would see the construction of a gas pipeline to India and Pakistan for the supply of Turkmen gas is related to Afghan territory. Observers believe that its implementation could contribute to the reconstruction of Afghanistan, since it will create jobs and provide the country with a guaranteed income for transit.
Ashgabat earlier said that the construction of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (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.
Edited by CN