Russia is interested in participating in the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the International Conference “Central and South Asia: Regional Relations.  Challenges and Opportunities ”, held last Friday in Tashkent.

 “Interfacing of the energy infrastructure of Central and South Asia is very promising.  Russian economic operators are making a significant contribution to strengthening the energy sector of the Central Asian states.  We are talking about dozens of projects.  We are also interested in participating in the construction of new gas transmission routes, including the TAPI gas pipeline (Turkmenistan – Afghanistan – Pakistan – India)”, the transcript of Lavrov’s speech at a plenary session of an international conference in Tashkent, published on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website, says.

 The annual capacity of the TAPI gas pipeline is designed to supply 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas.  The total length of the gas pipeline will be about 1,814 km.  India and Pakistan are expected to purchase 14 billion cubic meters each, the remaining 5 billion will be supplied to Afghanistan.