Officials from the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum have announced that the TAPI project will resume tomorrow, Wednesday, September 11, with the presence of senior Taliban and Turkmenistan officials in Herat province.
Tarz Press - Taliban Ministry of Mines and Petroleum spokesperson Homayoon Afghan announced that all preparations have been made to commence work on the TAPI project. The practical work on this project is expected to create employment opportunities for thousands of people. According to Mr. Afghan, once the project is completed, Afghanistan will have access to affordable and sustainable energy.
Taliban officials from the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum also mentioned that upon the completion of this significant economic project, Afghanistan would earn an annual income of $400 million. This comes after the TAPI project agreement was signed in January 2016 between the leaders of Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, and India. However, the construction of the gas pipeline, which transfers gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India, was inaugurated in February 2018 during the presidency of Ashraf Ghani. At least 816 kilometers of this project pass through Afghan territory and have a capacity to transport 33 billion cubic meters of gas annually.
The Taliban's Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has also announced that Wednesday will be a holiday in Herat. According to their statement, the TAPI project will be inaugurated in Herat with the presence of officials from Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.
