India’s New Gas Pipeline Project Unfrozen After Six Years

India will finally be able to resume work on its new gas pipeline project which will run through Afghanistan, after years of delays.

The TAPI project, which has been in development since it was first thought of in the 1990s, is supposed to transport natural gas from Turkmenistan to India through Afghanistan and Pakistan.

While the project has reached some milestones, with a ceremony to mark the official start of construction in Turkmenistan in 2015, it has faced multiple delays.

This is largely due to insecurity in the region, where geopolitical issues are often at play, reports the BBC Pashto.

But, on Thursday, the Taliban‘s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said construction for the pipeline would soon begin in Afghanistan.

Head of Foreign Affairs Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi said the project was a priority for the Taliban government, which took over Afghanistan in 2021.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared a photo of the Turkmen Ambassador Hoja Ovezov and Muttaqi.

It said: “The meeting focused on upgrading the level of bilateral diplomatic relations & ways to commence the practical work of the TAPI Pipeline project in the territory of Afghanistan.

“At the outset, Mr. Hoja Ovezov updated the Minister of Foreign Affairs on the latest developments regarding the practical work of the construction of the TAPI Pipeline in Afghanistan.

“Later, FM Muttaqi said that the construction of the TAPI Pipeline is among the top priorities of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, adding further, FM Muttaqi said that the line authorities of Afghanistan are engaged in finalizing the technical work of the TAPI Pipeline, and in near future, the construction of the pipeline will be practically commenced in the territory of Afghanistan.”

The TAPI project is one of the biggest gas pipeline initiatives in the region, set to be able to transport 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas.

It is 1,680 kilometers (1043 miles) long— 735 km (456 miles) of which pass through Afghanistan and would generate more than $200 million in annual revenue for the country, according to the Pipeline Journal.

The gas supply will help India and Pakistan meet their growing energy demands and provide jobs.

In 2012, the Director General of the Central and West Asia Department at the Asian Development Bank, Klaus Gerhaeusser, praised the project.

He said: “The pipeline represents a win-win scenario for each TAPI country, as it will give Turkmenistan with the world’s fourth largest reserves more diverse markets and helps fuel the energy-hungry economies to the South.

“Each country stands to gain, making this not only the ‘Peace Pipeline,’ but a pipeline to prosperity as well.”