Iran expresses willingness for Pakistan-Turkmenistan gas swap project
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2025-03-14 05:11:39
ANKARA: Iran is ready to participate in a gas swap between Pakistan and Turkmenistan, but a long-planned pipeline to transport gas from Turkmenistan to India looks increasingly unlikely to become operational, Iran’s Fars news agency reported on Monday.
Fars quoted the head of the National Iranian Gas Company, Hamidreza Araqi, by saying “I see it unlikely for the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) pipeline to become operational and Iran is ready for this swap to Pakistan.”
The TAPI pipeline involves Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India and was first proposed three decades ago.
The region’s complex geopolitics and security concerns, however, have served to hinder the pipeline’s construction.
TAPI will provide 33 billion cubic meters of gas a year along a 1,800 km (1,125 mile) route from Turkmenistan’s Galkynysh, which is the world’s second-biggest gas field, to Fazilka in northwest India.
Araqi further stated “We have announced our readiness to Turkmenistan for exporting their natural gas to Pakistan, but have not yet received a response in return.”
He also added “Given Iran’s situation in the center of the region, we can join every gas pipeline that passes around the country.”
