December 25, 2002	Wednesday	Shawwal 20, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 24: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali will leave for a two-day visit to Turkmenistan on Dec 26 to attend the second trilateral summit on the Turkmenistan- Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) gas pipeline project.

The visit, first after the installation of the new democratic government in Pakistan, is taking place on the invitation of Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov. The President of Afghanistan, Mr Hamid Karzai, is also attending the summit.

The three leaders had signed a trilateral agreement to develop a natural gas and oil pipeline from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan to Pakistan in May 2002 during the first trilateral summit in Islamabad.

During the second summit the leaders will sign the framework agreement on TAP gas pipeline project, which would trigger a chain of subsequent agreements between the three countries.

The proposed pipeline will create greater economic opportunities in the region and will meet the future energy requirements of the South Asian, South East and Far Eastern countries.