On September 11, 2024, a ceremony was held at the border of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan with the participation of delegations of the two countries to launch the construction of energy and transport infrastructure facilities.
Media reports say the ceremony was led by President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov via videoconference and the Acting Prime Minister of Afghanistan Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund attended the events.
Society.at reports that the projects launched include:
- The inauguration of the construction of the Serkhetabad–Herat gas pipeline, referred to as “Arkadagyň Ak ýoly”, which is the main link of Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) project
- The opening of a 177-meter railway bridge on the Serkhetabad–Torghundi railway (border of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan). A train carrying humanitarian aid went across the bridge from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan.
- The launch of the construction of the Shutlkyk-1 gas compressor station at the Shatlyk field in the Mary province.
- The inauguration of the construction of a fiber-optic communication line along the Serkhetabad-Herat route
- The launch of the construction of a warehouse complex and a loading-unloading yard on the territory of the dry port of the Torghundi railway station.
- The launch of the construction of Torghundi-Sanobar railway, being the first segment of Torghundi-Herat railway.
- The start of the supply of Turkmen electricity from the Serkhetabad station to Nur ul-Jihad station in Herat province as part of the first phase of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) power transmission line project.
CentralAsia.news reported on September 12 that the Serhetabat-Herat section is an important stage in the implementation of the TAPI transnational gas pipeline project.
Upstream Online reported on September 13 that the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (Tapi) export gas pipeline runs from Turkmenistan’s largest gas asset, the group of Galkynysh fields in the southeast of the country, and aims to deliver unspecified volumes of gas to the Herat province in Afghanistan.
The 150-kilometre segment of the Tapi pipeline that Ashgabat has reportedly agreed to finance from its own pocket, will extend the existing idle section of the pipeline from the border town of Serhetabat in Turkmenistan to Afghanistan’s third largest city Herat.
When fully built, the Tapi project is set to deliver up to 33 billion cubic meters of gas per annum from the Galkynysh group of gas fields in Turkmenistan via Afghanistan and Pakistan to ultimately reach India.
Tapi is set to cover the distance of about 800 kilometers in Afghanistan and more than 800 kilometers in Pakistan before arriving to the country’s border with India.
TOLOnews reports that Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund said on September 11 in Herat that the commencement of the practical work on the TAPI project would strengthen the relations between the two countries [Afghanistan and Turkmenistan]. He reportedly also mentioned that with this initiative, Turkmenistan would enhance the relations and friendship between the two countries.
Meanwhile, speaking online, the President of Turkmenistan reportedly said: "The good relations between Turkmenistan and Afghanistan continue. The commencement of the TAPI project and other projects is beneficial not only for Afghanistan but also for the countries in the region. Turkmenistan is striving to strengthen its ties with Afghanistan."
TOLOnews notes that Turkmenistan is one of the countries whose embassy remains open in Afghanistan and has also accepted the ambassador of the Islamic Emirate in Ashgabat.
