Strong and appalling economies serve the basis of steady and constant progress. It, not only supports socio-political affairs, but also pivots general welfare initiatives taken by state. To chase this goal Afghanistan is bound to establish friendly relation with the neighboring countries based on trust and confidence. This will only crystallize when trusts are earned by demonstrating an impartial diplomacy. Luckily this war-torn piece of land is surrounded by rich capitals: the energy rich, central Asian countries and the fastest growing economies; South Asian counties.
India is the potential economy in South-Asia that just follows China in Asia. It has earned great deal of material success during the short course of time. To reap the fruits of industrial progress India made, Afghanistan should strengthen its bilateral ties with India. To pursue this dream Pakistan ought to equally be taken on board.
President Ghani has made visits to 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. His visit to Pakistan led to fruition to certain extent, seeing a joint venture launched against terrorism on the troubled Af-Pak border. Subsequently, he paid a visit to United Arab Emirate, in the bid to earn the confidence of potential investors that would create employment opportunities.
Formerly, Mr. President paid to a two-day visit to Turkmenistan which is one of the world's fastest-growing economies. President, Ashraf Ghani and his Turkmen counterpart have stressed the need for cementing economic relations, trade and cultural links between Kabul and Ashgabat. According to concerned official the two premiers, hoped that bilateral trade volume between the two neighbors, which stood at $1 billion in 2014, would double this year.
Afghanistan at present is facing extreme power shortages. It relies on imports from its neighbors to meet its needs. 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.
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.
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, is trying to play a small, but 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.
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.
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 today would signal 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 single biggest element of distrust in the Pakistani mind about India’s intentions would also get removed – namely, Pakistan’s suspicions regarding Indian activities in Afghanistan.
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, Ghanii 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.
The exercise of neutral politics should be the main feature of Afghanistan foreign policy. The incumbent government must prioritize, establishing and continuing a balance relationship with the countries both regional and extra-territorial, given it encompasses more gains than expected.