State News Agency of Turkmenistan (TDH)

Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline: the positive dynamics of negotiations

The technical expert groups of the countries collaborating in the TAP Pipeline Project held the first meeting in Ashgabat. The delegations led by the deputy ministers of oil and gas industry of Afghanistan and Pakistan, the top managers of Indian GAIL Company and the representatives of the Asian Development Banks (ADB) that financed the large-scale regional project had arrived in the Turkmen capital to participate in the meeting, which had been agreed on at the 10th meeting of the TAP Pipeline Project Steering Committee in Islamabad last month.

The drafts of three important documents including the Agreement on Transit, the Agreement of Gas Purchase and the Agreement of Consortium, which were to regulate the rights and obligations of each participant of the large-scale project, were submitted for consideration.

The draft head agreement – the frame of the future contract to be signed by the heads of the governments of four countries was a focus of the talks.
Noting the positive dynamics of the dialogue the participants stated with satisfaction the effectiveness and constructive atmosphere of the meeting. The sides agreed to continue to negotiate the issues of further harmonizing the positions during the next meeting, which would be held this summer.