Vice President Hamid Ansari will leave on a three-day visit to Turkmenistan beginning tomorrow to attend the ground-breaking ceremony of ambitious TAPI gas pipeline and participate in the events marking the 20th anniversary of the Central Asian country's status of permanent neutrality.
Soon after reaching Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, he is likely to hold bilateral talks with President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow.
Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs Navtej Sarna said that on Saturday Ansari will attend event marking the 20th anniversary Of Trukmenistan's status of permanent neutrality.
The Vice President will address an international conference on policy of neutrality, peace, security and development.
On Sunday morning, Anasri would fly to the ancient city of Mary which was part of the old Silk Route to attend the ground-breaking ceremony of the USD 7.6 billion Turkmenistan-Afhanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline in the presence of representatives from Pakistan and Afghanistan -- the two other stakeholders in the ambitious project.
Responding to a question on bilateral ties between India and Turkmenistan, Sarna said New Delhi has a very important relationship with Ashgabat.
"It is a resource-rich country. It is a country which has tremendous resonance with India both in our outlook on regional and international relations. Earlier this year, we have had some very very significant developments.
"The External Affairs Minister visited Turkmenistan which was followed by the historic visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- a visit which took place at PM level after 30 years -- and several areas of co-operation were identified," he said.
The Vice President will also visit the bust of Mahatma Gandhi which was inaugurated by Modi early this year in the Turkmenistan capital.
(Reopen DEL62)
Turkmenistan's state company Turkmengaz will lead the consortium for building the 1800-kilometre-long pipeline carrying gas from the former the Soviet state to energy-hungry India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Turkmengas will be the consortium leader after foreign firms refused to participate in the project. French giant Total SA had initially envisaged interest in leading a consortium of national oil companies of the four nations in the TAPI project.
However, it backed off after Turkmenistan refused to accept its condition of a stake in the gas field that will feed the pipeline.
The TAPI pipeline will have a capacity to carry 90 million standard cubic metres a day (mmscmd) gas for a 30-year period and is targeted to be operational in 2018. India and Pakistan would get 38 mmscmd each, while the remaining 14 mmscmd will be supplied to Afghanistan.
India's state gas utility "GAIL has signed a Gas Sales and Purchase Agreement (GSPA) with Turkmengas for import of 38 mmscmd of natural gas for 30 years. However, with Afghanistan agreeing to take approx 1.5-4 mmscmd against the original agreed volume of 14 mmscmd, the Indian volumes may increase to 43-44.25 mmscmd," Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had informed Rajya Sabha in a written reply earlier this week.
TAPI will carry gas from Turkmenistan's Galkynysh field, better known by its previous name South Yoiotan Osman that holds gas reserves of 16 trillion cubic feet.
From the field, the pipeline will run through Herat and Kandahar provinces of Afghanistan before entering Pakistan. In Pakistan, it will reach Multan via Quetta before ending at Fazilka (Punjab) in India.
"TAPI will provide an alternative supply source of gas with dependable reserves leading to enhanced energy security. It will further diversify the fuel basket to the benefit of Indian economy," Sarna said adding the gas would be used mainly in power, fertiliser and city gas sectors.
A security consultant has recommended establishment of an inter-government joint security task force (JSTF) to serve as the nucleus of the safety of the pipeline.
