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Officials confident practical work on TAPI in Afghanistan will start soon
Officials from the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum said discussions were held recently with Turkmenistan officials and that practical work on the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline project will start soon.
Officials said discussions were held with Turkmen officials during their recent visit to Herat.
The trans-Afghanistan pipeline has been on the cards for years and once complete will transport natural gas from the Galkynysh Gas Field in Turkmenistan through Afghanistan into Pakistan and then to India.
Construction on the project started in Turkmenistan on 13 December 2015 but is currently stalled on the Afghanistan side.
The ministry’s spokesman Homayoun Afghan said however that problems have been resolved to some extent and that resumption of work will start soon.
Officials from the Chamber of Industries and Mines say that once complete, Afghanistan will receive 500 million cubic meters of gas for ten years and then one billion cubic meters of gas for twenty years.
According to them, the government will also earn about $500 million a year in transit fees.
“If the TAPI project is implemented, it will be vital economically for Afghanistan and for three countries that are involved in this project,” said Sakhi Ahmad Payman, deputy head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Industries and Mines.
“In the future, we will be able to use this gas to move gas-related industries and produce energy. Our gas imports will decrease. In general, Afghanistan will get a good income from the economic point of view,” Payman added.
Khanjan Alkozi, a member of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI), also said that this is a “major” project that will provide employment opportunities for thousands of people.
In addition, economic experts believe that the grounds for the implementation of large economic projects in the country have been provided and the opportunity should be used effectively.
TAPI gas pipeline is 1,800 km long and extends from Afghanistan and Pakistan to India – of which 735 km of it will traverse Afghanistan through the provinces of Herat, Farah, Helmand and Kandahar.
It is estimated that the cost of this project will exceed $22.5 billion.
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Afghanistan now has unified central government: IEA defense minister
Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, the Minister of Defense of the Islamic Emirate, says that Afghanistan currently has a unified central government, and that no groups engaging in destructive activities are present in the country. He added that they will not allow anyone to undermine the country’s security.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Defense, Mujahid made these remarks at a graduation ceremony for commandos of the Special Forces Division. The ceremony was attended by Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Minister of Interior; several cabinet ministers; foreign ambassadors and military attachés; special representatives; and a number of officials and military personnel.
Addressing the commandos, Yaqoob Mujahid said: “In the service you perform, make the pleasure of Almighty Allah your sole intention, because Almighty Allah will reward you for such an intention in this world and the hereafter. There is now a unified central government in the country, and no groups engaging in destructive activities are present. We will also not allow anyone to undermine security.”
He also added: “I assure our people that these forces will defend the lives, property, and territory of their beloved country with full courage and wisdom. I tell all foreign countries that Afghanistan is now secure, and there is no enemy in this country, whether from within or outside, that poses a threat to others.”
At the ceremony, Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani also said: “For half a century, Afghanistan did not have an independent army. However, now, it has an organized army and other security forces. You are not a ceremonial army, nor do you operate to serve the interests of others; rather, you are an organized and independent army. Although we may be materially weak, we are stronger than others in terms of morale and spirituality. We must maintain high morale, avoid acting emotionally in military affairs, and respond to the enemy at the appropriate time. We are not a threat to anyone; rather, we are defenders of our own land.”
It is worth noting that 1,000 young commandos of the Special Forces Division of the Ministry of Defense graduated from the eighth training course after completing six months of professional, ideological, and commando training.
During the ceremony, the graduating commandos, in cooperation with the Air Force, demonstrated coordinated practical and military exercises using various types of unmanned aircraft.
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Baradar approves action plan for establishing special economic zones
The action plan for establishing special economic zones across the country was approved on Wednesday by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs.
According to a decree issued by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate, these special economic zones will be established in the provinces of Kabul, Balkh, Nangarhar, Kandahar, Herat, Paktia, and Kunduz.
Under the plan, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in cooperation with other relevant ministries and government agencies, will identify the land required for these zones, determine the necessary sectoral activities and services, and create the conditions needed to attract investment.
The establishment of these special economic zones is aimed at attracting new investments, achieving a relative balance between exports and imports, and expanding production activities in a suitable environment, paving the way for a new phase of economic development in the country.
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Russian deputy prime minister to visit Kabul with high-level economic delegation
The visit aims to strengthen economic and trade relations between Afghanistan and Russia, explore investment opportunities and discuss potential joint economic projects.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk is scheduled to visit Kabul on Thursday, leading a high-level economic delegation, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced.
According to a statement by the ministry, the visit aims to strengthen economic and trade relations between Afghanistan and Russia, explore investment opportunities and discuss potential joint economic projects.
The visit is expected to provide an opportunity for officials from both countries to discuss ways of expanding bilateral economic cooperation and identifying new areas for trade and investment.
The ministry did not provide further details about the delegation’s programme or the specific projects expected to be discussed during the visit.
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