Kabul (TDI): The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, one of the region’s largest energy infrastructure projects, is advancing toward Afghanistan’s western city of Herat, officials said.
During recent talks, Turkmenistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Khoja Ovezov, and Afghanistan’s Minister of Mining and Petroleum, Hedayatullah Badri, reviewed the current stage of the pipeline’s construction and discussed upcoming steps. Both sides expressed optimism that the Herat segment will be completed by the end of 2026, marking a key milestone for the project, The Times of Central Asia reported.
According to Turkmenistan’s state oil and gas company, Turkmennebit, the TAPI pipeline will stretch roughly 1,814 kilometers: 214 kilometers through Turkmenistan, 774 kilometers across Afghanistan, and 826 kilometers through Pakistan, ending at the Indian border. The Afghan portion is the longest outside Pakistan and poses the greatest logistical and political challenges.
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The latest milestone in the project was the inauguration of the Serhetabat-Herat section, officially named Arkadagyň ak ýoly (“Arkadag’s White Path”), on October 20, 2025. Preparatory work has been completed on a 91-kilometer stretch in Herat province, with infrastructure and worker camps already in place along the route.
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Once operational, the TAPI pipeline is expected to deliver significant economic benefits. Afghanistan could earn over $1 billion annually from transit and related revenues, while Pakistan’s projected earnings range from $200 million to $250 million. Stakeholders say these figures represent an important step toward meeting the economic objectives of all participating countries.
