Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Jan. 13
By Huseyn Hasanov – Trend:
Strengthening of cooperation with neighboring countries in the Asian region, including Pakistan, is one of the key vectors of neutral Turkmenistan’s foreign policy, said the country’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov at a government meeting.
The Turkmen Dovlet Habarlary state news agency reported that President Berdimuhamedov also spoke about the high level of interstate relations, dynamically developing on a multilateral basis and through authoritative international and regional organizations.
Reportedly, a delegation of the country’s Foreign Ministry will pay a working visit to Islamabad on Jan. 15-16, where the Turkmen-Pakistani foreign policy consultations will be held.
It is expected that special attention will be paid to the implementation of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, as well as other important joint projects, particularly, in the power and communications, transport and communications sectors.
Turkmenistan started to construct its TAPI section in December 2015. The foundation laying ceremony for the Afghan section of the TAPI gas pipeline is planned to be held in the second half of February 2018.
Earlier, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Japanese government expressed their interest in financing TAPI.
The Islamic Development Bank has already allocated a loan worth $700 million for Turkmenistan to construct its TAPI section.