Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Dec. 12
By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend:
India is interested in Turkmen gas supplies, Vice President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari said in Ashgabat during the meeting with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov, said a message of the Turkmen government Dec.12.
The Indian delegation arrived in Turkmenistan to participate in the celebrations dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the country's neutrality.
Reaffirming the commitment of India for Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, the Indian guest stressed "the high interest of India in supplies of Turkmen natural gas, which is due to the increasing needs for energy carriers of the rapidly developing Indian economy."
It is planned that the total length of the TAPI pipeline will be 1,735 kilometers. Some 200 kilometers will pass through the territory of Turkmenistan, 735 kilometers - Afghanistan, 800 kilometers - Pakistan up to Fazilka settlement on the border with India.
The annual capacity of the gas pipeline will be 33 billion cubic meters. The gas pipeline is to stretch from the largest Galkynysh gas field in Turkmenistan. The estimated cost of the project will be up to $10 billion.
Construction of the pipeline will be economically beneficial for all the countries involved in the project, said Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov. He stressed that TAPI is designed to make a significant contribution to sustainable socio-economic development of the Asian region states and contribute in general to the strengthening of global energy security, having become a true bridge of peace, friendship and long-term cooperation on the Eurasian continent.
In this regard, the Turkmen leader expressed gratitude to the government of India for its support of the project and active participation in all stages of its preparation.
During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on priority issues of interstate partnership, among which the trade and economic sphere, transport and communications, health care, high technologies, textile industry and a number of other spheres were mentioned.