Nawaz exhorts countries participating in TAPI to expedite pipeline construction

Warns that cost of the project will only increase with passage of time

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has asked countries part of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline to expedite construction to keep costs low.

While addressing a meeting on the project at the PM House on Wednesday, the prime minister said that the project was important for all countries in the region, and Pakistan is keen that it is expedited.

He emphasised that the states concerned should take all steps necessary to start the project as soon as possible since its cost would only increase with the passage of time.

“We have pinned lots of hopes with this project and want it completed as soon as possible,” a statement released from the PM House read.

TAPI is a 1,680km long pipeline project with design capacity to supply 3.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per annum (Bcfd) from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.

Director, State Agency for Management & Use of Hydrocarbon Resources in Turkmenistan Yagshgeldi Kakayev, Afghan Minister for Mines and Petroleum Daoudshah Saba, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, India Dharmendra Pradhan and DG Asian Development Bank Manila, Philippines Klaus Gerhaeusser, among others attended the meeting.

The visiting ministers of member countries also shared their views, calling it a win-win project for all the countries. The meeting agreed that a Consortium leader would be finalised soon.