Head Of Turkmen-Pakistani Intergovernmental Commission From Turkmenistan Appointed

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, July 31



By Huseyn Hasanov- Trend:



Turkmenistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Rashid Meredov will head Turkmenistan-Pakistan intergovernmental commission from this country, according to the order of Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.



During a government meeting in Ashgabat, Turkmen president stressed that the two countries are bound by long-standing friendship and mutually beneficial partnership.



Berdimuhamedov also stressed that Turkmenistan intends to strengthen and develop the fruitful dialogue with Pakistan based on centuries-old historical and cultural ties and common spiritual values of the two nations.



It was earlier reported that the Turkmenistan-Pakistan intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation plans to hold a meting in early August in Islamabad.



Turkmenistan and Pakistan are interested in the implementation of the project on constructing Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) transnational gas pipeline.



The construction of the TAPI pipeline should start in 2015, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov earlier said.



The basic document is the Ashgabat interstate agreement of the member states signed in 2010 in Ashgabat on starting the practical implementation of the TAPI project.



The design capacity of the TAPI is up to 33 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The TAPI pipe length will reach 1,735 kilometers. Some 200 kilometers of the pipeline will run through Turkmenistan, 735 kilometers - through Afghanistan, 800 kilometers - through Pakistan to the settlement of Fazilka, located on the border with India.



Edited by CN