First TAPI stone laid in Turkmenistan

The ceremony of laying the first stone of the TAPI gas pipeline was attended by the leaders of the participating countries: Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, in the Turkmen city of Mary. 

The event took place not far from the Galkynysh gas field. It was attended by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif, President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari.

The TAPI gas pipeline is to be built by December 2019. This was stated by Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in his speech at the ceremony.

"The construction of the gas pipeline is to be completed by December 2019. The power line is to be 33 billion cubic meters of gas a year,’’ Tass reports.