ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that Pakistan attaches priority to timely completion of Turkmenistan-Afghan­istan-Pakistan-India (Tapi) gas pipeline project.

The project envisages transportation of 30 billion cubic meters of Turkmen gas annually to Pakistan via Afghanistan. The prime minister expressed these views in a meeting with Vice Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov here on Thursday.

Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Adviser to PM on National Security Sartaj Aziz also attended the meeting.

The prime minister said this project was part of the energy security plan of the government.

“We are glad that the operations agreement has been signed and all parties have showed their resolve to complete the project by target date (i.e. 2017),” he added.

Both sides also hoped to finalise export of 1000MW of Turkmen electricity to Pakistan at the earliest.

The prime minister said that Pakistan wanted to transform its ties with Turkmenistan into strong economic partnership.

“The focus of our foreign policy is on peace for development and the main thrust of our engagement with Central Asia is on trade, investment, energy, connectivity and culture,” he added.

Meanwhile, addressing the Pakistan-Turkmenistan Joint Governmental Commission here on Thursday, Mr Sartaj Aziz said the government’s policy was aimed at forging comprehensive, multifaceted relationships with Central Asian states, both on the bilateral and regional planes.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2014