Turkmenistan President Highlights TAPI, Other Projects at CIS Summit

Serdar Berdimuhamedow, the president of Turkmenistan, emphasized the implementation of the TAPI, TAP, and railway projects between Turkmenistan and Afghanistan during the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) leaders’ summit in Moscow.

According to reports from Turkmenistan’s media, Serdar Berdimuhamedow highlighted the importance of these projects, saying that Turkmenistan supports the expansion of energy resources both within the CIS and beyond.
The president of Turkmenistan said that the participation of CIS countries in these and similar projects provides a reliable path for strategic prospects.

Abdul Shakoor Hadawal, an economic expert, said: “Their support and emphasis indicate how important and valuable this project is for those commonwealth countries, and there is no doubt that its positive results will follow.”

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Economy welcomed the Turkmenistan president’s statement, describing the implementation of these projects as beneficial to the economies of the involved countries.

Abdul Latif Nazari, the technical deputy of the Ministry of Economy, said: “We welcome this statement. Certainly, these projects can play an important role in the growth and development of Afghanistan’s and the region’s economies, and the Islamic Emirate is ready to cooperate in the implementation of any regional project, including TAPI.”

Abdul Naseer Rashtia an economic expert, said: “I think the more efforts are made for this project, the more it benefits Afghanistan, not only by providing employment opportunities but also by increasing investment credibility in Afghanistan, which is very important because with the progress of the TAPI project, a kind of economic convergence will occur, boosting investment credibility in Afghanistan.”

Afghanistan has four joint projects with Turkmenistan, including TAPI, TAP, railway, and fiber optic cable transfer.

On September 11 of this year, the practical work of the TAPI project officially began in Herat province in the presence of senior officials of the Islamic Emirate and Turkmenistan.