Turkmenistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday launched construction on the much-delayed Afghan section of the TAPI gas pipeline project.
"We are talking about the laying and launch of a number of projects: the Serhetabat-Herat section, the main link in the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India [gas pipeline] project, which we are carrying out with our own investment, as well as power transmission lines, transport and communication lines along the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan route," Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov was quoted as saying by the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper.
The $10 billion TAPI pipeline is important for energy security in South Asia, with natural gas from Turkmenistan's Galkynysh Gas Field being transported to India via Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Envisaged in 1995, the project finally kickstarted in 2015 with construction beginning on the Turkmen section after a long delay of two decades.
Upon completion, the pipeline will deliver 33 billion cubic meters of gas to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India annually.