High-level talks between Turkmenistan and Afghanistan have highlighted a new stage in regional cooperation in the energy, transport and communications sectors. At a meeting held on August 10 between National Leader of the Turkmen people and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar, the sides discussed accelerating construction of the TAPI gas pipeline and expanding bilateral economic cooperation.
Particular attention was paid to the Turkmen-Afghan section of the TAPI pipeline, covering the Serhetabat–Herat route. The section, officially named “Arkadagyň ak ýoly” (“Arkadag’s White Road”), is currently under active construction, with around 300 units of modern specialized machinery deployed at the project site.
TAPI is being positioned not simply as a gas transportation project, but as a strategic initiative capable of strengthening economic ties among countries across the region. For Turkmenistan, the pipeline provides expanded access to South Asian energy markets, while for Afghanistan, the project offers an opportunity to improve energy supplies while strengthening its role as a transit country. In this context, TAPI is becoming an important instrument of regional economic integration.
During the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between Turkmenistan’s State Concern “Türkmengaz” and Afghanistan’s “Afghan Gas” Corporation on natural gas supplies. Under the agreement, Turkmen natural gas will be supplied to residential areas, power plants and industrial facilities in Herat Province. The arrangement is expected to support local economic development, create new employment opportunities and expand industrial capacity.
Alongside energy cooperation, the sides discussed the development of transport and communications infrastructure. Initiatives to expand electricity transmission and fiber-optic networks along the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan route are aimed at strengthening regional economic connectivity. These projects reflect the growing importance of not only energy flows, but also information and logistics networks in supporting modern economic development.
The talks also addressed the expansion of cooperation within the Lapis Lazuli international transport corridor. Connecting Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye, the route provides additional logistics opportunities for reaching European markets via the Caspian Sea. The proposed establishment of a unified logistics center could help improve the efficiency of trade flows and further strengthen the region’s transit potential.
In addition, an initiative was put forward to establish a joint committee on economic cooperation between the two countries. Such a mechanism could provide an institutional framework for coordinating major infrastructure projects and developing new areas of bilateral economic engagement.
The successful implementation of TAPI could create additional conditions for closer economic integration between Central and South Asia, while strengthening the region’s energy, transport and communications connectivity.
Source: Нейтральный Туркменистан
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