Iran sees Turkmenistan-India gas pipeline unlikely to become operational, says Fars

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Iran said it was ready to participate in a gas swap between Pakistan and Turkmenistan and that a pipeline to transport gas from Turkmenistan to India was unlikely to become operational, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Monday.

“I see it unlikely for the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) pipeline to become operational and Iran is ready for this swap to Pakistan,” Fars quoted the head of the National Iranian Gas Company, Hamidreza Araqi, as saying.

The TAPI pipeline – named after the countries involved, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India – was first proposed three decades ago. But the region’s complex geopolitics and security concerns have hindered its construction.

TAPI will transport 33 billion cubic meters of gas a year along an 1,800 km (1,125 mile) route from Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh, the world’s second-biggest gas field, to Fazilka in northwest India.

“We have announced our readiness to Turkmenistan for exporting their natural gas to Pakistan, but have not received any response from them,” Araqi said.

“Given Iran’s situation in the centre of the region, we can join every gas pipeline that passes around the country.”

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow