The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, Amir Khan Mottaki, is on an official visit to Turkmenistan. According to a press release from the Afghan Foreign Ministry, he is scheduled to meet with his Turkmen counterpart, Rashid Meredov, Daryo.uz reports.
The delegation includes official representatives from the Ministry of Mining and Petroleum, the energy company DABS, and the Afghan Railway Authority. During his visit, Mottaki visited the Afghan Embassy in Ashgabat, where he provided recommendations for strengthening bilateral relations and expediting consular services for Afghan residents.
According to Afghan authorities, in 2023, the trade turnover between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan amounted to $481 million. Electricity, oil, and liquefied gas are among Turkmenistan's key export items, while Afghanistan mainly exports marble, dried fruits, and potatoes.
Experts consider the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline as a strategically important project for both countries. Along the pipeline route, plans include developing road infrastructure and an electrical grid.
Construction of the gas pipeline, with a capacity of 33 billion cubic meters of gas per year, began in December 2015. During this period, Turkmenistan completed the pipeline to the Afghan border and developed the raw material source – the giant Galkynysh field.
In Afghanistan, the TAPI pipeline, with a length of over 800 km, is expected to cover the provinces of Herat, Farah, Nimroz, Helmand, and Kandahar. The Islamic Emirate recently expressed readiness to cover the project's cost within its territory.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
February 26, 2024