KABUL: A high-level delegation from Turkmenistan, led by Rashid Meredov, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister, met with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, to discuss the TAPI, TAP, railway, and electricity projects.
According to Mullah Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, the meeting which was held today in Herat was attended by the ministers of mines and petroleum, water and energy from Afghanistan, as well as Turkmenistan’s transport and railway minister and the head of the state gas company.
In the meeting, the Turkmen delegation expressed its readiness to invest in the Torghundi-Herat railway project and indicated that work has also been carried out at the Torghundi port in this regard.
The Turkmen delegation expressed interest in the railway project following Mullah Baradar’s request for clarification about their position, noting that Kazakhstan has also shown interest in investing in this sector.
The Saudi company “Delta International” has shown readiness to invest in the regional TAPI project, Mullah Baradar said, stating that Delta is interested in purchasing gas for the TAPI project, increasing capacity in Turkmenistan’s large gas block, constructing and expanding the gas pipeline from the Ghore district of Herat to the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar, and setting up a modern gas center at the Gwadar port in Pakistan.
He also confirmed Afghanistan’s preparedness to finalize the roadmap for the TAP project and assured comprehensive cooperation for electricity transfer to the districts of Balamurghab, Khwaja Omari, and Qala-i-Naw, along with other regional connectivity projects.
Meanwhile, Rashid Meredov praised the Islamic Emirate for facilitating the TAPI project within Afghanistan, adding that the project will reach the center of Herat by the end of the current Gregorian year.
Welcoming foreign companies’ readiness to invest in the TAPI project, emphasized the need for close collaboration in this regard. He also stated that Turkmenistan is prepared to increase the capacity for electricity transfer to Afghanistan through five different routes.
In addition to the aforementioned issues, the two sides also discussed expanding trade, banking cooperation, creating job opportunities, and collaborating on economic projects.
Turkmenistan, located in Central Asia and north-west of Afghanistan, has significantly expanded its political, economic, and trade relations with Afghanistan over the past four years more than ever before.
High-level Afghan, Turkmen officials discuss TAPI, railway, and power projects
