Only Qatar, with its vast influence on transit Afghanistan, can guarantee the construction of the TAPI gas pipeline (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India).
This statement was made by Sergey Pikin, Director of the Energy Development Fund (Russia), on his TV channel Vzglyad Vostoka.
(Turkmenistan began building TAPI on its territory in 2015, but work on the Afghan segment has been regularly delayed - Daryo).
The expert commented on Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov's recent visit to Doha.
"For Turkmenistan, the more gas pipelines, the better. But so far, only one is operating to China".
Doha could secure part of the pipeline through Afghanistan if it sees its rationale, Pikin said.
He attributes Doha's influence over Kabul to Qatarisg home to the political office of the Taliban, which rules Afghanistan.
At the same time, however, he believes convincing the sheikhs of the benefits of TAPI will be difficult.
"Qatargas is one of the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) companies, has a tanker fleet, and can trade anywhere and with anyone."
"Vzglyad Vostok" points out that because of the sharply increased risks in Kabul, Gazprom has started looking into an alternative Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project.
The Asian Development Bank, which promoted the TAPI project, is waiting for international recognition of the Taliban government, which came to power in Afghanistan in August 2021.
Securing the transnational infrastructure - with a projected capacity of 30bn natural gas - threatened by groups such as the Islamic State (IS) remains pressing. The Taliban are promising to organize a guard force of 30.000 soldiers.
Turkmen media reported that during Berdimuhamedov's visit to Doha, an agreement was signed on the promotion and mutual protection of investments.
Speaking to representatives of the Qatar Business Association, he called for participation in TAPI.
"Our country believes that favorable prospects are opening up for participation...in international pipeline projects, one of which is the construction of the TAPI gas pipeline," the agency Turkmen Habarlary quoted him as saying.
Credits: Eziz Boyarov, Ashgabat
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