Afghanistan at present is facing extreme power shortages. It’s nothing less than a great surprise learning doing away the energy woes not only Afghanistan but also neighboring Pakistan and India are in stark need of energy that could be channeled from Turkmenistan. Earlier the energy-rich Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov ordered the state companies Turkmengaz and Turkmengazneftstroi to start building the isolated republic’s section of the pipeline on a pipeline carrying gas from the former Soviet state to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.  Overall, the pipeline will stretch 1,800 kilometers and is likely to cost more than $10 billion.

Turkmenistan is rich in natural gas, and currently sells most of its gas to Russia and Ukraine. The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project undertook between three countries is of immense significance. Ashgabat has often wanted is access to India and the markets of Asia, which desperately need Central Asia’s energy supplies to sustain their rapid economic growth. The proposed Trans-Afghan natural gas pipeline, or the TAPI pipeline, named for the four countries that it would pass through (Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India) would bring natural gas from the Dauletabad gas field in central Turkmenistan along a highway to Herat in eastern Afghanistan and further to Helmand and Kandahar in southern Afghanistan. From there, it would go on to Quetta and Multan in Pakistan, terminating in Fazilka in northern India. The nearly 1,800-km-long proposed pipeline project worth around $10 billion aims to export up to 33 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas per year and integrate economies of the four partnering nations. It is said Afghanistan would earn $300 million dollars annually in transit fee besides finding thousands of employment opportunities.

Turkmenistan is largely a desert country with intensive agriculture irrigated areas, and huge gas and oil resources. In terms of natural gas reserves, it is ranked 4th in the world. Being the fourth largest gas reserves; it has been actively on the lookout to build transportation routes to large markets and the route through Afghanistan has been the most feasible and economical. The rise of India as an economic giant and its increasing energy needs make Turkmenistan and Central Asia energy markets of choice for that country and also China. Afghanistan and other neighboring countries could be privileged with the huge earthen resources.

Gas, oil and electricity are principal imports from Turkmenistan. The Turkmen president said his country wanted to increase energy exports to Afghanistan and was currently working on centre for exporting gas to Afghanistan. Turkmenistan, especially under the new President positive role in Afghanistan’s development and reconstruction.  Ashgabat has delivered humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and forgiven much of Kabul’s debt for Turkmen electrical power.  Turkmenistan continues to supply Afghanistan with energy at a deep discount and Ashgabat has reconstructed a portion of the railway that will connect the two countries.

The president Ghani had earlier visited countries owing potentials to help out Afghanistan to do away its security and economic tribulations. He paid visit to Pakistan to revitalize its resolve undoing the battered relation and work together fighting the menace of terrorism. Subsequently, he paid a visit to United Arab Emirate, in the bid to earn the confidence of potential investors that would create employment opportunities. It is yet to get public whether investors were drawn in to launch to help in successful launching of the project in Afghanistan’s section.

Seemingly the orientation meetings between the four countries at different level have had an earned progress. President, Ashraf Ghani and his Turkmen counterpart had stressed the need for cementing economic relations, trade and cultural links between Kabul and Ashgabat, is turning fruitful given the Turkmen premier afforded willingness to export 500 megawatts of power to Afghanistan. It’s indeed a great step ahead, to cope with increasing power demand. In the meanwhile, the Turkmen head of the state, also hinted at plans to construct maternity home in Torghondi district, an orphanage in Jawzjan and two mosques in Aqina and Andkhoi.  To finalize the course of action of proposed project, a meeting of steering committee consisting of ministers from four countries met in Islamabad formerly. The fact that Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chaired a meeting of the petroleum ministers of the TAPI member countries in Islamabad earlier signaled that the project is likely approaching the takeoff stage. The project of course helps Pakistan and India get away with the battered relation. This in turn will help Afghanistan travel easily across avenues of material success. The project’s uniqueness is that it could make Pakistan a ‘stakeholder’ in stable relationship with India – and vice versa. More importantly, it enables the two countries to bury the backlog of the past and move on to a new phase in the geopolitical arena where the stabilization of Afghanistan becomes a shared concern rather than an issue of rivalry.

The central Asians and South Asians countries bridged via roads and rails facilitate the fastest business between these countries; it in fact opens the new avenues to financial development. President, Ghani stressed a railway line between Afghanistan and Central Asian countries including China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Turkmenistan. He believed such a track would pave the ground for spurring regional trade.