indo-asian news service, Ashgabat, July 11: India and Turkmenistan Saturday agreed to push for early implementation of the ambitious TAPI gas pipeline project as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The two sides inked seven agreements, including for cooperation in fertilisers and in defence.
Modi, who arrived in the Turkmen capital Friday evening from Ufa in Russia, said in his media statement after Saturday’s talks that the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline project was the “most significant initiative in our relationship”.”This could transform regional economic cooperation and bring prosperity along the route. We welcomed the agreements between the four countries for the pipeline. We underlined the need to implement the project quickly,” he said.
Modi said he proposed that both sides should explore multiple options, including the land-sea route through Iran, for transporting the gas.
The $10 billion TAPI project is expected to bring Turkmen natural gas from its giant Dauletabad and Galkynysh gas fields to Pakistan and India. The project is likely to take off in December.
The joint statement said the TAPI project “forms a key pillar of economic engagement between the two countries” and its implementation will have “a transformational impact on trade between the two countries”.
Both sides decided to “take measures for early implementation of this important regional project”.
