In December 2025, Turkmengasgurlushyk Closed Joint-Stock Company (a subsidiary of the State Concern Turkmengas) announced an international tender for the supply of auxiliary materials and metal products for the construction of the Serhetabat-Herat section of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline. This marked another important step in the further practical implementation of this transnational project, which is intended to provide a powerful stimulus for the active economic development of the Central and Southeast Asian region.

According to the tender terms, interested companies have one month to submit their proposals for the supply of materials and products necessary for the continued construction of the Serhetabat-Herat section, known as "Arkadagyň ak ýoly" (Arkadagyň ak ýoly), which is part of the TAPI project in neighboring Afghanistan. This tender will thus enable the selection of the most advantageous supplier.

In October 2025, the National Leader of the Turkmen People, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, symbolically launched welding work on the next section of the Serhetabat-Herat pipeline of the TAPI gas pipeline. Speaking at the ceremony, Hero Arkadag noted that Afghan citizens will also be involved in the project's implementation, and its full implementation will create new jobs.

Hero-Arkadag emphasized that once the project is fully implemented, Afghanistan will receive over $1 billion annually in transit fees, and thousands of new jobs will be created for the local population. He also noted that more than 200 units of modern, powerful equipment have been used for construction.

The TAPI project is a priority for the government of Turkmenistan and will play a constructive role in ensuring the region's economic stability, Hero Arkadag emphasized. Afghan Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar, who attended the ceremony, called the TAPI project "a symbol of cooperation and a bridge for building trust." He thanked Turkmenistan for its support, noting that this project is of paramount importance for Afghanistan's energy security and stability.

The symbolic start of welding work on Afghan soil marked another practical step in the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India transnational energy pipeline.

The TAPI gas pipeline, with a design capacity of 33 billion cubic meters of gas per year, will run from the giant Galkynysh gas field in southern Turkmenistan through the Afghan cities of Herat and Kandahar, and the Pakistani cities of Quetta and Multan to the city of Fazilka in western India. Its total length will be 1,814 kilometers.

Notably, Turkmenistan completed its 214-kilometer section and prepared it for operation in 2024.

The National Leader of the Turkmen People, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, emphasized the significant geopolitical and geoeconomic significance of the TAPI gas pipeline project in his speech on March 19, 2025, at the International Conference "International Year of Peace and Trust: The Role of Interregional Cooperation in Ensuring Sustainable Development”.

"Today, we can confidently say that work on this project is proceeding according to a specific program. A 214-kilometer section of this pipeline, running through our country, has been built. Last September, construction began on the 153-kilometer Serhetabat-Herat section, known as the Arkadagyň ak ýoly. Its construction is currently underway in Afghanistan," said the Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty.

"The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline is one of these significant projects." "The goal of this project is to provide natural gas to countries with a total population of 1.75 billion people in the modern era," Hero-Arkadag emphasized.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov also noted the high social significance of this project. Experts estimate that the construction of the TAPI gas pipeline and associated infrastructure systems, new institutions, and enterprises will create 12,000 jobs in Afghanistan and address a number of key humanitarian issues in the country.

Hero-Arkadag emphasized that work on the TAPI gas pipeline project must be carried out in accordance with internationally recognized norms and standards.

This gas project is being implemented by the international consortium TAPI Pipeline Company Limited, in which the State Concern Turkmengas is the main shareholder. The consortium also includes the Afghan Gas Corporation, Pakistan's Inter State Gas Systems (Private) Limited, and India's GAIL.

Once operational, the TAPI pipeline will significantly impact the energy landscape in South Asia by strengthening energy security and regional development.