Turkmenistan to Supply Afghanistan Free Electricity

5 July 2007: Ashgabat

Turkmenistan has promised to supply electricity worth $300,000 to energy-starved Afghanistan, with the neighbours agreeing to reinforce cooperation in different fields including trade, commerce, diplomacy and culture.

The electricity would be supplied free of cost to the war-battered country as a goodwill gesture, Turkmen and Afghan presidents told a joint news conference following a formal meeting here on Thursday.

Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov, charactersing his talks with Karzai as very useful and productive, said the two countries enjoyed good trade and cultural ties. He hoped the bilateral relationship would grow further with time.
His government would lay a railway line linking two dry ports - Torghundi and Aqeena in Afghanistans Herat and Faryab provinces - with Turkmenistan, Berdymukhamedov announced.

The Turkmen leader said they also discussed a long-delayed 1700 kilometres gas pipeline - traversing Herat, Farah, Helmand and Kandahar provinces in Afghanistan before reaching Pakistan.

"We have long talked about an Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline. We are taking this project into account and are ready to study all proposals for its implementation. It has not been superseded by other projects," he added.

Under a MoU signed among the three countries on July 4, 2006, Turkmenistan agreed to supply Pakistan through Afghanistan with 3.2 billion cubic feet of gas on a daily basis for a period of 30 years.

The trilateral pipeline project, when executed, is expected to earn cash-strapped Afghanistan $300 million annually in transit fees and throw up employment opportunities.

Lauding Turkmenistans assistance, Karzai invited his counterpart to visit Afghanistan and said the exchange of high-level trips would go a long way in boosting links between the two Central Asian nations.

The two sides signed a protocol on bilateral consultations between Afghan and Turkmen foreign ministries and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on transit trade and transportation.

The visiting dignitary will place a floral wreath at the mausoleum of former Turkmen president Safar Murad Niazov, go to a historical museum in Ashgabat, receive a honourary professorial degree from the Turkmenistan University and address its students.

An 80-member delegation including cabinet ministers, legislators and entrepreneurs are accompanying Karzai on the tour largely focused on Afghan-Turkmen trade relations.

A joint statement signed by the two leaders said: "After discussing aspects of trade and economic contacts, the presidents pointed out the significance of interaction and expressed desire for stronger economic partnership based on principles of equality, mutual benefit, and comprehensive attention to the interests of the two countries."

They said their countries sought to strengthen global peace and stability and build an international climate of confidence and mutual understanding. They argued it was a matter of special significance to seek a stronger role for the United Nations in dealing with issues of global security and development.

According to the document, the heads of state expressed the shared opinion that the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, transnational crime and drug trafficking are some of the main threats to peace and stability on the planet and pointed out the need for further development of cooperation in tackling these challenges and threats of modern times.

Link: Pajhwok Afghan News