After years of anticipation, practical work on the TAPI project began in Afghanistan on Wednesday, September 11, in the presence of the officials of the Islamic Emirate and Turkmenistan.
Meanwhile, the work on fiber optic transmission, expansion of the Torghundi railway, and the Noorul Jihad power plant in Herat city also commenced.
The officials of the Islamic Emirate and Turkmenistan, in the inauguration ceremony of this major regional project, described the initiation of these projects as important steps towards strengthening the economies of both countries and improving regional relations.
Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, the Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate, said at the ceremony: “We have been waiting for this day for years. There might have been many problems and challenges for the people of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan until these major projects reached this point, which we are inaugurating today.”
Serdar Berdimuhamedow, the President of Turkmenistan, said: “The start of these projects demonstrates the good neighborliness of our countries. These projects are beneficial not only for the people of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan but also for the countries of the region. Our cooperation with Afghanistan has reached a high level.”
According to TAPI project officials, upon completion of the project, it will provide employment opportunities for 12,000 people in Afghanistan, and the country’s annual revenue from this project will be close to one billion dollars.
Amanov, CEO of the TAPI project, said: “We are very pleased that the TAPI project has been completed in Turkmenistan and that work has begun on Afghan soil. Cooperation from Afghanistan is needed for this project to be realized, and it must collaborate in this regard.”
In addition to TAPI, the work on the fiber optic transmission from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, the expansion of the Torghundi port railway, and the operation of the Noorul Jihad power plant in Herat have also commenced.
Abdul Bari Omar, head of the Breshna Company, said: “Previously, 60 to 70 megawatts of electricity were imported from Turkmenistan to Herat; but this energy will now reach 120 megawatts. This initiative will solve the electricity problems of the people of Herat and its industrial factories.”
Asif Muslimzada, a resident of Herat, commented on the importance of this project, saying: “In these difficult circumstances, when most of our people migrate to neighboring countries due to unemployment and poverty, the TAPI project can be a positive step for our people.”
The TAPI project was initiated eight years ago in the presence of the then-leaders of Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, and India in Herat, but the practical work on it did not proceed within the country for reasons that are unclear.