KABUL - President Ashraf Ghani has said Afghanistan is ready with regard to implementation of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India natural gas pipeline (TAPI) project.
Ghani, who met his Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, on the sidelines of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), said Afghanistan benefitted from imported Turkmen electricity and was paving the ground for Pakistan to benefit as well.
A statement from the Presidential Palace in Kabul said the two presidents met on Thursday afternoon and discussed bilateral relations and progress on regional connectivity projects.
Berdimuhamedow urged President Ghani to participate next month in the Aqina railroad inauguration in order traders of the two countries could discuss how to expand bilateral trade.
The Turkmen president also said the occasion would be used to sign a memorandum of understanding on the Lapis Lazuli transit trade.
Berdimuhamedow said he was enthusiastic to visit Afghan provinces where the TAPI gas pipeline would pass through.
The two presidents discussed progress on the TAPI project and Ghani said his country was ready for its implementation.
The Turkmen leader said his country would increase the supply of imported electricity to Herat province and in response the Afghan leader said it would help establish more factories in the western province.
At the meeting, the two sides agreed that delegations of the two countries would deeply and thoroughly discuss better security arrangements along the TAPI route in Afghanistan.
The Turkmen president also said his country planned to construct a mosque in Aqina and a school in Andkhoi district.
The two sides also stressed increased cooperation and expertise exchanges in area of carpet industry.
President Ghani also met his Tajikistan counterpart Emomali Rahmon and discussed with him bilateral relations in various fields and joint fight against terrorism.
Rahmon said the Afghanistan route was appropriate for trade and urged increased cooperation from Kabul in this regard.
The two presidents also agreed on enhanced cooperation in areas of transit and bilateral trade.
Similarly, President Ghani also met his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev and discussed with him bilateral relations and a joint anti-terrorism fight.
The two leaders insisted on increased security cooperation and the Kazakh leader said his country was ready to help Afghanistan repair helicopters.
The two also agreed on the creation of a joint commission on carpet exports.
President Ghani called as very important the Silk road project that also included Kazakhstan.
The two-day SCO summit that began on Thursday was expected to discuss recent border skirmishes between Afghanistan and Pakistan.(Pajhwok)