Report – Public Talk on “Implementation of TAPI Pipeline”

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The Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) organized a Public Talk under its Distinguished Lecture Series on December 6, 2018, titled, “Implementation of TAPI Pipeline”. The guest speaker at the occasion was Mr. Muhammetmyrat Amanov, CEO and Chairman, Board of TAPI Pipeline Company Ltd. (TPCL), Turkmenistan.

Director General ISSI , Ambassador (Retd) Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, in his welcome remarks said that the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project was very important and that there was a critical mass of interest regarding the TAPI project in general. He said that TAPI’s importance was known in the region as all member states were on board and the project has been inaugurated, as earlier this year, the pipeline was laid down between Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. Despite the emphasis laid on renewable energy resources, particularly solar energy, the efficacy of fossil fuel cannot be beaten, and therefore, the project will remain pivotal. Apart from serving the regional energy needs, the project will also integrate the region because TAPI will pass through Afghanistan, and through Pakistan connecting into the Indian gas pipeline system. However, there are a number of prerequisites for the implementation of TAPI such as peace in Afghanistan, However, it is heartening to know that more than 1600 people have been working on the project in Afghanistan and bulk of the work done including the survey which is near completion, was carried out without any accidents,. This is a positive indication of the future success of the project. He concluded that once the pipeline has been laid out, the security of the project will also become a very important.

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