Afghanistan and Turkmenistan launch connectivity projects
Kabul, Afghanistan: Afghanistan and Turkmenistan inaugurated on 14 January three major energy projects aimed at bolstering bilateral and regional ties.
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Kabul, Afghanistan: Afghanistan and Turkmenistan inaugurated on 14 January three major energy projects aimed at bolstering bilateral and regional ties.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov oversaw the inauguration of the projects through video links from Kabul and Ashgabat.
“Regional connectivity clusters and large-scale projects such as railway, TAPI [Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India] gas pipeline, TAP [Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan] power transmission line, fibre optics network that can link South Asia to Europe by land and to the rest of the world will transform the living conditions of the Afghan people for the better and improve the situation in the entire region,” he said.
Waheed Tauhidi, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s power utility company Da Afghanistan Breshna Shirkat, stated that one of the three projects is the 500 kV Karki-Andkhoy-Pul-e Khomri power transmission project.
The 153 km long (95 mi) power transmission line is part of the power transmission line project along Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan route aimed at creating infrastructure for the export and import of electric power between the three countries.
Based on the project, the electricity from Turkmenistan will be supplied to a number of cities of Afghanistan, in particular Mazari Sharif, with further access to the cities of Pakistan.
A statement by the Afghan presidency said the other two include a fibre optics project aimed at providing 2,500 MBS internet to users in Afghanistan’s Herat and surrounding provinces.
The third project is the 30 km (18.6 mi) railway link between the two neighbours – 24 km (15 mi) main railroad and 6 km (3.6 mi).
“All three projects that have been completed in short time are united by a common meaning and goal – to give strong impulse and ensure long-term development of our countries, well-being and prosperity of Turkmen and Afghan people, assist expanded international cooperation, mutual understanding, political and social stability,” said Berdimuhamedov.
Source: Anadolu Agency