Turkmenistan enters into gas supply deal with Pakistan, India

Turkmenistan enters into gas supply deal with Pakistan, IndiaThe representatives of the government of Turkmenistan have entered into an important a natural gas deal with Pakistan and India, a move that will boost the possibility of the proposed 1,800-kilometre pipeline across Afghanistan for supply of fuel to the south Asian nations.

Officials from India's state-owned GAIL Ltd and Pakistan's Inter State Gas System agreed to the deal today under which they will receive gas through a pipeline. The pipeline across Afghanistan is expected t pump close to 90 million cubic meters a day.

The parties have not announced the amount of gap to be purchased by the nations of the price for the gas. Even as the sale deal is finalized, the project faces a big challenge of planning the route across the dangerous areas of Afghanistan.

The U. S.-backed pipeline running across Afghanistan is set to increase economic integration and is also seen as an alternative to the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline. Turkmenistan's state gas company Turkmengaz entered signed gas sales and purchase agreements with Pakistan's Inter State Gas Systems and Indian state-run utility GAIL.

Turkmen's deputy Prime Minister Baimurad Hojamukhamedov said, "The implementation of this project will give a powerful impetus to the social and economic development of all the participant countries."