Turkmenistan News 21 October 2026 16:59 (UTC +04:00)
Photo: Trend News Agency
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, October 21. The completion of the Afghan section of the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline has confirmed the technical and organizational feasibility of the project and provided valuable experience for its further extension toward Pakistan and India, the Head of the TAPI Project Coordination Office at the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan, Mohammad Nazim Samoon said, Trend's special correspondent reports.
He made the remark at the 31st International Conference and Exhibition “Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan” (OGT 2026) in Ashgabat.
According to him, the implementation of the Afghan section posed a serious challenge for the project as a whole and allowed participants to refine mechanisms for coordination, security, logistics, and land preparation.
“Over the past two years, we have learned how to prepare right-of-ways, gain access to land for pipeline construction, and address issues related to security, logistics, and procurement,” Nazim Samoon noted.
Nazim Samoon emphasized that the experience gained from implementing the Afghan section demonstrated that it is possible to build a gas pipeline even under challenging geographical conditions.
“This also demonstrated to potential investors and shareholders that the implementation of this regional energy project is feasible,” the Afghan representative said.
Furthermore, Samoon expressed hope that partners from the countries participating in the project were convinced of its feasibility and were ready to move the initiative forward.
According to him, the next important step will be to continue implementing the TAPI project toward Pakistan, with a subsequent extension to India.