*ISLAMABAD – **Turkmenistan’s Ambassador breaks silence over impacts ofPakistan India tensions and Taliban on TAPI gas pipeline project.*
*Turkmenistan’s ambassador to Pakistan has said that tensions betweenPakistan and India will not affect Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–IndiaPipeline (TAPI) gas project, nor is there any threat to project from theAfghan Taliban.*
Talking to media at the 25th anniversary of Permanent Neutrality ofTurkmenistan, the envoy Atadjan Movlamov said that the TAPI gas pipelineproject would improve the economic situation in the region and will alsobring down the prices of energy in Pakistan.
The Ambassador said that the adverse relations between Pakistan and Indiawould not affect the TAPI project, as the two countries wanted to move theproject forward. The envoy added that there was no danger to the TAPI gaspipeline from the Afghan Taliban.
He said that we should work for Afghanistan development and prosperityrather than wait for peace.
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Movlamov said that Pakistan and Turkmenistan are trying to improve tradevolume. He also urged on promoting trade relations between the twocountries.
TAPI gas pipeline project aims to bring natural gas from the Galkynish andadjacent gas fields in Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Forimplementation of the project, Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) and GasPipeline Framework Agreement (GPFA) were executed on December 11, 2010after approval the Federal Cabinet.
The Gas Sale and Purchase Agreement between Inter State Gas System Limited(ISGSL) and Turkmengaz for the supply of 1.3 bfcd gas to Pakistan wassigned in 2012 wherein the pricing of the gas was determined and agreedwith Turkmengaz.
