Berdymukhamedov trying to involve Saudi Arabia in construction of TAPI

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has invited the Saudi Arabian companies and financial institutions to participate in the construction of the Trans-Afghanistan gas pipeline (TAPI – Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India). The Turkmen president’s press-office said on May 5 the invitation was voiced during Berdymukhamedov’s talks with King Salman of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh.  Berdymukhamedov was on pilgrimage to Mecca (The Hajj) these days.

“The Arab companies are offered to weigh participation in the project on the three major vectors. In particular, these are trade - pipe and gas equipment supply, financing– provision of loans, and investments with the future involvement of the companies from Saudi Arabia into the development of the largest gas field in the country and participation in the TAPI Consortium,” the source reports.

TAPI gas main will extend about 1,800km. With a designed capacity of 33billion cubic meters of gas annually, the project is estimated at US$7.9billion.

It is expected that the project will be launched in 2017. The pipeline will run via the territories of Turkmenistan (200km), Afghanistan (735km), Pakistan (800km). The route via Afghanistan will stretch through the towns of Herat and Kandahar up to Fazilka settlement on the border of Pakistan and India. Galkynysh, the largest in Turkmenistan gas field, will be developed under the project.