On October 30-31, a Turkmen delegation headed by Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov paid a working visit to Afghanistan.
According to TOLO news, at the airport Meredov was met by the acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, Amir Khan Mottaki ( Amir Khan Muttaqi ). The main topic of the conversation with high-ranking officials was the implementation of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline. In particular, at a press conference following the talks, Muttaki said that the implementation of the TAPI project in Afghanistan will begin in the near future .
In addition, issues of construction of railways and the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) power transmission line were discussed.
“We discussed how to strengthen the projects already started,” Mutaki said and added that Meredov had invited him to Turkmenistan.
The Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan also reports that at a meeting held on October 30, the foreign ministers of the two countries considered the construction of TAPI and TAP.
At a meeting with high-ranking officials of Afghanistan on October 31, the situation in the field of security and the supply of humanitarian aid was discussed, as well as the issue of stepping up the construction of TAPI, TAP and a railway from Turkmenistan to the province of Afghanistan.
“We want to launch national projects between the two countries as soon as possible, because all the necessary conditions have been created for their implementation , including security, ” the Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan, Abdulsalom Hanafi , quotes the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan .
Minister of Defense of Afghanistan Muhammad Yakub and V.A. Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani also said that the security of all joint economic projects will be ensured. “We will spare no effort to ensure the security of infrastructure and economic projects between the two countries,” the Afghan Defense Minister said.
On August 15, Taliban fighters entered Kabul without a fight and within a few hours established full control over the Afghan capital.
On August 17, Mohammad Sohail Shahin, a spokesman for the Taliban's Qatari political office , said the movement was interested in building large projects - TAPI and railways.
September 29, acting Afghan Foreign Ministry Amir Khan Muttaki "in detail" discussed the construction of TAPI with the Turkmen ambassador.
On October 27, the Taliban's acting minister of mining and oil, Mohammad Isa Akhund, discussed the implementation of TAPI with the Ambassador of Turkmenistan, Khoja Ovezov .
Source: Chronicles of Turkmenistan