PM meets Turkmenistan president to discuss regional connectivity projects

A detailed presentation was given on different options of connectivity routes with Central Asian Republics


Abdul Manan March 17, 2016
File photo of PM Nawaz Sharif and Turkmen President Berdimuhamedov. PHOTO: PID

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov met on Thursday to discuss regional connectivity projects at government house in Murree.

According to a statement, both the leaders were briefed about the proposed road projects to connect the Central Asian Republics (CARs) with Pakistan under the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Programme.

Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal and Chairman NHA Shahid Ashraf Tarar conducted the briefing session.

Turkmenistan president arrives in Islamabad

The CAREC Programme is a partnership of 10 countries and six multilateral development partners to promote regional development to achieve accelerated economic growth and poverty reduction.

A detailed presentation was given on different options of connectivity routes with CARs.

The proposed routes include roads from Gwadar with Termez via Quetta, Kandahar, Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif. Another road is proposed to be constructed from Karachi to Tashkent via Torkham, Kabul, Kunduz and Dushanbe. Third proposed route is Gwadar to Ashgabat, a road to be built via Quetta, Kandahar and Herat. Lastly, route to connect Gwadar with Tejen via Zahedan and Mashhad.

The prime minister said infrastructural development of Pakistan was the economic lifeline of the country.

“The completion of regional connectivity projects along with CPEC projects will turn around the economic outlook of Pakistan and will prove to be a game changer for the entire region,” he said.

‘TAPI pipeline to be completed by 2019’

The Turkmenistan president appreciated the infrastructural development vision of PM Nawaz, and expressed interest in those proposed routes which fall along the TAPI gas pipeline.

President Berdimuhamedov also showed interest in investing different areas in Gwadar.

"We want to use Gwadar as our home port", he said.

Federal minister for petroleum and SAPM Tariq Fatemi also attended the meeting.

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COMMENTS (2)

quatro | 8 years ago | Reply They probably huddled and discussed how to get the American's back involved in a project which has gone nowhere except for photo ops.
sami shahid | 8 years ago | Reply very nice....Turkmenistan and Pakistan can benefit a lot with eachother
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