HERAT (SW): The practical work of TAPI project, TAP, Torghundi Railroad, and fiber optics project which are the four major projects in the region have been launched in Herat today (Friday). At the ceremony held in Herat for the launch of Afghanistan's section of TAPI project today (Friday), President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, and President of Turkmenistan, Pakistani Prime Minister, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of India attended the ceremony.
Mohammad Ashraf Ghani said the start of this project will bring a change in the country and emphasized that the project is of a high economic importance for Afghanistan and the other regional countries involved in this project.
President Ghani added that the TAPI project will increase regional cooperation, enhance the economy, and provide employment opportunities for hundreds of people. The TAPI project, in addition to turning poverty into prosperity, will also bring us light and brightness, will build regional trust among the countries and will turn the distrust into trust, President Ghani added.
According to President Ghani, the Torghuni railroad will once again transform the Torghundi city into a major port city in the country. He added that the electricity project from Turkmenistan, (Afghanistan) to Pakistan (TAP) will connect the economic hubs of West and Southwest of the country, and will enormously benefit the people and the government alike.
In another part of his speech, President Ghani said that the people of Afghanistan are not bound to the past but have always looked into the future, reminding that the people of Afghanistan are not hostile to any country and will only seek their own national interests and have always been trying to become the center of regional cooperation.
Turkmenistan President, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow emphasized on the expansion of his country’s cooperation with Afghanistan. He said the implementation of the TAPI project will be a great achievement for the countries involved in the project, adding that the implementation of TAPI project will have an enormous impact on Afghanistan’ economy and security. President of Turkmenistan pledged his country’s support with Afghanistan on other development projects as well.
Pakistani Prime Minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that Pakistan is committed to its regional promises and that Pakistan’s long-term economic goal is to ensure stability in the region. He called Afghanistan’s success as Pakistan’s success, adding that Pakistan supports economic projects that are conducive to the development of Afghanistan.
Mubashar Javed Akbar, the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs said that the problems which arise in Afghanistan will affect the whole region. He called the TAPI a very important project for regional countries involved, and vowed that India will play its role at best to complete the project effectively.
TAPI’s section of work in Turkmenistan which had been launched two years ago was completed on Friday. The cost of this 1814 kilometers gas pipeline which transfers Turkmenistan gas through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India is estimated at 22.55 million USD.
Afghanistan section of TAPI pipeline which is 800 kilometers passes through provinces of Herat, Farah, Nimroz, Helmand, and Kandahar, which is scheduled to be completed by 2019.
This project is of great economic importance to Afghanistan; in addition to creating employment opportunities for hundreds of workers, generates revenues of $400 million annually for the government. In addition to this, in the first 10 years, Afghanistan will purchase 500 million cubic meters of gas annually, and similarly in the second 10 years of the project will purchase 1 billion cubic meters annually, and in the last 10 years of this project will purchase 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas annually from Turkmenistan under the TAPI agreement.
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