Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct. 10
By Huseyn Hasanov – Trend:
Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov met with his Tajik counterpart Sirojiddin Mukhriddin in Ashgabat, Trend reports Oct. 10 with reference to the Turkmen Foreign Ministry.
The parties discussed a number of issues on interaction in the political, economic and cultural fields and noted the importance of high-level visits, which give a powerful impetus to the development of bilateral relations, the report said.
The Tajik foreign minister mpghasized Turkmenistan’s key role in maintaining peace, stability and security in the region. The diplomats spoke about the effectiveness of cooperation within the international organizations and raised issues of the international agenda.
As was reported in July, that Tajikistan is completing construction of the first mountain tunnel as part of a project to build an additional branch “D” of the interstate gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to China. It is expected that construction of the Tajik section of the gas pipeline will be completed in 2024.
Within Tajikistan, the route will run through the territories of Tursunzoda and Hisor cities, as well as Shahrinav, Rudaki, Vahdat, Faizobod, Nurobod, Rasht, Tojikobod and Lyakhsh districts to the Kyrgyz border. Branch “D” will become an integral part of the Central Asia-China gas pipeline, completing the existing branches “A”, “B”, “C”, which pass from Turkmenistan through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Upon completion, the total capacity of the pipleine will reach 85 billion cubic meters of gas per year.
The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan (TAT) railway construction project was also mentioned among the joint profitable economic projects.
In addition, it was reported that Turkmenistan may supply electricity in transit through Afghanistan to Tajikistan in the autumn-winter period.